21 Suspects Caught in Malatya-Centered Illegal Gambling Operation

In an illegal gambling operation centered in Malatya, 21 suspects were caught and taken into custody. In an official statement made by the Malatya Emniyet Müdürlüğü, it was stated that the operation was carried out under the coordination of the Malatya Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı. As a result of meticulous work carried out by the teams of the Siber Suçlarla Mücadele Şube Müdürlüğü, the identities of the individuals engaging in illegal gambling activities were identified. Within the scope of the investigation initiated under the law regarding betting and games of chance, a large number of suspects were focused on. It was expressed that the judicial processes regarding the incident are ongoing and the investigation may be expanded.

In the statement made by the authorities, it was emphasized that the bank account movements of a total of 38 individuals were examined in detail within the framework of the investigation. As a result of these examinations, it was revealed that the suspects reached a massive financial volume through illegal gambling activities. It was stated that a transaction volume of approximately 824 milyon Türk Lirası was detected in the aforementioned accounts, and this situation revealed how large-scale the organization operates. This file, conducted on charges of facilitating money transfer, also drew attention to the financial dimension of illegal betting networks. The digital and financial evidence obtained is expected to be of critical importance in the later stages of the investigation.

Security forces completed the process of capturing the suspects by conducting another large-scale and simultaneous operation on 29 Haziran 2026. In the extensive operation initiated centered in Malatya and also covering the provinces of İstanbul and İzmir, work was carried out to capture a total of 24 suspects. These simultaneous raids in three different provinces were planned as a result of long-standing surveillance and intelligence work. This operation showed that the fight against illegal betting rings is not limited to a single city and has spread nationwide. The authorities underlined that operations against similar criminal organizations will continue uninterruptedly.

In the detailed searches conducted on the persons and in the residences of the captured suspects, a large number of critical materials were seized. In particular, 49 digital materials that maintain the digital infrastructure of the criminal organization and record its financial transactions were secured by the police teams. In addition, it was announced that 2 hunting rifles were also seized from the suspects and in their homes during the operation. These findings revealed that there were not only elements of cybercrime and financial crime, but also physical security threats. All the evidence obtained was added to the file to be used against the suspects, who were referred to the courthouse after the completion of the procedures.

The 21 suspects caught as a result of the operation were referred to the judicial authorities after their procedures were completed. 9 of the suspects who appeared in court were arrested and sent to prison, citing the activities of the illegal betting ring and the evidence of crime on them as justification. On the other hand, 8 suspects who were subjected to judicial control conditions were released, while the remaining 4 suspects were released after their statements were taken by the Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı. This judicial process is considered a concrete result of Türkiye's zero-tolerance policy against illegal betting and organized crimes. Law enforcement units stated that they will resolutely continue similar comprehensive investigations in the future to prevent the damages caused by illegal betting games to the economic and social order.