Türkiye strikes cybercrime ring handling $3B monthly
An officer from the police department’s cybercrime unit works to prevent digital fraud, Tunceli, Türkiye, April 8, 2026. (AA Photo)


Authorities in Türkiye have dismantled a major cybercrime network with an estimated monthly transaction volume of $3 billion in a coordinated operation targeting illegal betting and money laundering activities.

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the operation, named "Paymix-3,” uncovered a system built on crypto assets and shell companies used to facilitate illicit financial flows.

The operation was carried out under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command as part of broader efforts to combat cyber-enabled organized crime.

Investigators targeted the technical infrastructure of 49 illegal betting websites, taking their servers offline. Authorities also disrupted access to around 1,200 internet domains linked to the network and seized data from approximately 15 million users.

Prosecutors identified 38 suspects with domestic and international connections. Companies financed through criminal proceeds were placed under the control of trustees appointed by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund.

Gürlek said the crackdown reflects intensified coordination between state institutions to address illegal online gambling and money laundering networks operating across borders.

"We will not allow any illegal structure that threatens the peace of our citizens and the financial security of our country,” he said, adding that efforts to combat such networks will continue.