Match-fixing and illegal betting earthquake in 24 provinces: '82 suspects referred to courthouse'

The police processing of 82 suspects detained in a massive "match-fixing" and illegal betting operation conducted across 24 provinces, centered in Istanbul, has been completed. The suspects, who underwent health checks, were referred to the Anatolian Courthouse in Kartal as part of the investigation into the organized crime network.

The judicial process has begun in the massive operation, which was launched on June 5 by teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Branch under the coordination of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. In the case, which is one of the largest-budget match-fixing and betting investigations in recent years, the suspects' interrogations at the courthouse have commenced.

''192 BILLION LIRA''

It was revealed that the criminal network, dismantled as a result of long-term technical and physical surveillance by financial police, managed a money laundering operation worth billions of liras. Striking details that stand out in the investigation file are as follows:

It was determined that the criminal network was coordinated by a suspect named İ.Ö.Ö.; legal and illegal bets were placed on matches where the outcome had been pre-arranged (match-fixing).

It was established that the astronomical revenues obtained from the bets were first transferred to crypto asset wallets to make tracking difficult, and then transferred between different cold wallets whose users could not be identified.

It was determined that not only bettors but also managers in the foreign exchange and jewelry sectors, who played an active role in the money laundering process, were involved in the criminal organization. It was reported that a massive transaction volume of exactly 192 billion liras was carried out through this network.

350 MILLION LIRA IN ASSETS SEIZED

In the first wave of the operation, 80 people were detained in 24 provinces, and 4 of the 6 people caught in subsequent raids were released from police custody. While the total number of suspects referred to the courthouse reached 82, a major blow was also dealt to the financial arm of the organization:

83 movable and immovable properties (houses, land, vehicles) worth 350 million liras, which were confirmed to have been obtained from crime, were seized by court order.

All bank accounts of the suspects and their wallets on crypto asset exchanges were blocked, preventing the money from being moved.

Following their prosecutor interrogations, the 82 suspects referred to the Anatolian Courthouse are expected to be sent to the duty magistrate judge with a request for arrest. Whether the investigation has branches extending into the sports community remains a subject of curiosity.

News Source: 12punto