Turkish authorities have detained 20 people in a raid targeting an illegal gambling operation in Istanbul, officials said on Friday.
The Istanbul Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Division launched the investigation to uncover organized crime networks involved in illegal betting and to apprehend those responsible.
Coordinated with the chief public prosecutor’s offices in Büyükçekmece and Küçükçekmece, investigators found that suspects worked in shifts at so-called “finance” houses, managing panels integrated with gambling websites. Funds collected from players were reportedly transferred to bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets registered under third parties’ names.
Following the investigation, police conducted simultaneous raids on five locations, detaining 20 suspects.
Searches of the addresses yielded 35 mobile phones, eight computers, a cryptocurrency wallet, an unlicensed firearm, and 53 narcotic pills.
The suspects were taken to the Istanbul Police Department campus on Vatan Street for processing.
