Breaking News: Flash TV, Pozitifbank, and Payfix seized in illegal betting operation!

Within the scope of an illegal betting investigation, a detention warrant was issued for Erkan Kork, the owner of Pozitifbank and Flash TV, on charges of leading a criminal organization. 23 companies, including Pozitifbank, Flash TV, and the payment institution Payfix, which are alleged to have laundered illegal betting proceeds, were seized. As part of the investigation, assets totaling 6 billion 900 million TL were also seized.

The processing of the suspects, who are alleged to have enabled foreign illegal betting sites to operate in Turkey through the payment institution named "Payfix" and to have laundered assets derived from crime using this method, continues at the police station.

In the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was determined that Erkan Kork, the owner and official of the payment institution "Payfix," had integrated illegal betting panels into the Payfix financial software system using software within the firm since 2014, thereby enabling many foreign-based virtual betting sites to operate in Turkey.

In the investigation, where it was understood that the suspect Erkan Kork entered the financial system with a company named "Troyin Bilişim" and was in intense contact with organizations conducting illegal betting activities in Turkey in a planned manner, it was determined that he established "Payfix" by creating an organizational system with unfair gains and income obtained from crime through structures conducting illegal betting activities.

In the investigation, it was understood that 59 suspects provided services to illegal betting sites regarding money transfers and financial security, particularly by using the service infrastructure of the payment institution named "Payfix," created fake "Payfix" account wallets on behalf of third parties, and performed masking operations by circulating the income obtained from betting in these fake accounts.

MASAK REPORT

According to the prepared MASAK report, it was determined that 80 thousand 11 different money transfer clusters were detected in the database system of "Payfix," that there were a total of 211 thousand 109 accounts belonging to these clusters, and that 855 account holders were seen as risky within the scope of illegal betting.

In the report, it was noted that 4 billion 223 thousand 399 liras were sent from the bank accounts of the individuals subject to analysis to the bank accounts of crypto asset service provider institutions, and that 43 thousand 861 "Payfix" wallet accounts reached through detailed examinations over the IP addresses used in money transfer transactions, and 49 million 671 thousand 178 money transfer transactions between August 21 and October 19, 2023, were related to betting transactions.

SHELL COMPANIES

Within the scope of the investigation, in the research conducted regarding the crime of "laundering assets derived from crime," it was determined that the suspects acted in a relationship of trust with each other to manage "Payfix," purchased "PozitifBank," and also laundered the proceeds subject to the crime and obtained unfair gains by establishing many commercial companies, primarily "Capital Türk Holding," as well as companies such as "Ay para ödeme kuruluşu," "Ininal Ödeme," and "Elektronik Para Hizmetleri AŞ," or by taking over already opened companies.

In the operation carried out by police forces, who took action after the prosecutor's office issued detention warrants in the investigation conducted for the crimes of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "laundering assets derived from crime," and "opposition to Law No. 7258," 43 suspects were detained.

A seizure measure was applied to 17 residences, 9 plots of land, 1 office, 13 vehicles, and the personal accounts and crypto wallets of the suspects belonging to the organization leader and members, as well as 23 companies and a total of 114 vehicles belonging to these companies, partnership shares in 23 companies, and company crypto wallets, totaling 6 billion 900 million liras in assets.

It was decided to seize the television channel named "Flash Haber TV," which is located within the structure of Göktuğ Multimedya Yayıncılık Anonim Şirketi, owned by Erkan Kork, who is alleged to be the leader of the organization, along with the company it is affiliated with.

SUSPECTS' PROCESSING AT THE POLICE STATION CONTINUES

The processing of the suspects caught in the operation organized by the Istanbul Police Department teams continues at the police station.

On the other hand, it was learned that 700 thousand dollars in cash, numerous cold wallets, jewelry, and an unlicensed pistol were seized in the operation.

News Source: 12punto