15 arrest requests in Papara operation

A total of 15 suspects, including the company's owner Ahmed Faruk Karslı, who were detained in the "Illegal Betting" operation targeting Papara, have been referred to the duty magistrate judge with a request for their arrest.

The investigation initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office continues into allegations that Papara Elektronik Para AŞ facilitated illegal betting money traffic and that illegal betting organizations carried out money transfers through Papara, on charges of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "being a member of an established organization," "laundering assets derived from crime," and "violating the Law on the Regulation of Betting and Games of Chance in Football and Other Sports Competitions."

The interrogation of the 15 suspects detained within the scope of the investigation, conducted by 4 prosecutors at the Organized Crime Investigation Bureau, has been completed.

The prosecutor's office referred all of the suspects to the magistrate judge with a request for their arrest.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

In a statement regarding the investigation, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that Papara Elektronik Para AŞ owner Ahmed Faruk Karslı had received an operating license as an electronic money institution since 2016, that the company could collect fees at each transfer stage related to crypto exchanges and illegal betting for accounts within the company, and that the fact that the examination of these accounts was conducted later did not disrupt betting transactions and allowed the company to earn revenue from said transactions.

The statement noted that, according to reports received from the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, MASAK, and other institutions, Papara was used systematically and intensively in the commission of the crime of illegal betting, and that the company facilitated the commission of this crime and the money transfers involved.

The statement further noted that analysis revealed 102 out of 26,012 accounts opened through Papara systems were used on various illegal betting and gambling sites, that the illegal financial volume obtained from these accounts was high, that said amount was transferred to 274 different bank accounts through the platform, and that subsequently, the proceeds of crime were directed to 16 different crypto wallet addresses in an attempt to launder them.

The statement included the following: "It has been understood that the owners of the 5 identified crypto wallet accounts were in cooperation with illegal betting organization leaders, and in this direction, the payment institution named Papara was in a covert agreement process with illegal betting organizations."

The statement also reported that Papara Elektronik Para AŞ had become a significant intermediary for the financing of illegal betting and gambling crimes, that the institution's activities posed a risk of threatening the security of payments, that asset seizure measures were applied to 8 companies, primarily PPR Holding AŞ, as well as a yacht, 5 boats, 3 safe deposit boxes, 74 vehicles, 7 apartments, and villas belonging to the organization's leader and members, and that the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) had been appointed as a trustee to the companies by the magistrate judge.

News Source: 12punto