Another blow to the Sarallar... Prison requested in money laundering indictment

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Investigation Bureau for Laundering Crimes has prepared a comprehensive indictment regarding the criminal organization known in the public eye as the "Sarallar." A lawsuit has been filed against 52 people, including the organization's leader İlyas Saral, on charges of "money laundering." The indictment emphasizes that strong evidence has been obtained indicating that assets derived from crime were being concealed and legitimized.

ORGANIZATION METHOD: THREATS AND FORCED PROPERTY ACQUISITION

According to the indictment, the organization forcibly acquired the assets of complainants by making armed threats against their homes, vehicles, and property. The trial for the previous indictment, which was prepared against 62 people regarding these charges, is ongoing at the Istanbul 39th High Criminal Court. This new indictment includes charges that the organization laundered the illegal income it obtained.

INCOME DOES NOT MATCH FINANCIAL RECORDS

As a result of examinations conducted in line with reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), it was determined that there were large discrepancies between the suspects' income and expenditures.

ALI UĞUR UZUN’S SUSPICIOUS LAND REGISTRY TRANSACTIONS

While suspect Ali Uğur Uzun’s legal income for the 2010-2022 period was 940 thousand TL, 73 land registry transactions were recorded in his name. Most of these were carried out in his own name, and it was observed that some properties were transferred in bulk. MASAK reports stated that Uzun’s asset movements did not match his apparent income and were intended for laundering.

İLYAS SARAL’S COMPANIES ARE AT A LOSS BUT MONEY IS FLOWING

The money movements carried out by the crime organization's leader, İlyas Saral, through his real estate activities and companies were included in the indictment with striking details.

Although the companies owned by Saral, Bural İnşaat and Matriks Tekstil, declared losses, it was stated that he acquired 55 properties and that most of the transactions were carried out as "self-to-self" title deed transfers.

It was determined that in 2024 alone, 750 thousand Euros and 732 thousand 400 Dollars were deposited from Power İnşaat, and these amounts were transferred to other accounts and subsequently moved to investment firms. In the 2021–2025 period, a total of 39 million TL in deposits and 37 million TL in withdrawals were recorded in Saral’s personal accounts.

FREQUENT MONEY TRANSFERS

Over a 4-year period, 106 million TL was deposited into the account of a suspect named Fikret Aydoğdu, and 113 million TL was withdrawn. The indictment emphasizes that this traffic was conducted through "D Elektronik Şans Oyunları ve Yayıncılık AŞ" and that the system was manipulated with numerous transactions made within minutes.

‘COMPLEX MONEY’ TRAFFIC FROM KENAN KOÇAK AND HIS PARTNER

Although Koçak’s company declared low profits, 121 million TL in deposits were detected in his accounts. It was determined that while a portion of this money came from his wife and his partner company, the other part came from different individuals and was related to names specifically connected to the organized crime group within the organized money traffic.

It was observed that 4.3 million TL was deposited into the account of retired police chief Mehmet Deniz Karakurt during the 2021–2025 period, and only a portion of this came as a salary from public institutions. The remaining part was found to have come from cryptocurrency platforms and individuals with criminal records. Furthermore, it was stated that money from a high-value vehicle sale was transferred to the suspect Kenan Koçak.

HEAVY SENTENCE REQUEST FOR 52 SUSPECTS

In the indictment, prison sentences of 3 to 7 years and judicial fines of up to 20 thousand days were requested for 52 people, including names such as Ali Uğur Uzun, İlyas Saral, Burak Saral, Fikret Aydoğdu, Mehmet Deniz Karakurt, and Kenan Koçak.

News Source: 12punto