Hundreds of companies have come under close scrutiny due to tax evasion and illegal gambling.

08.03.2025 16:40

The Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) in Turkey has examined complaints made against hundreds of companies due to allegations of tax evasion and illegal gambling. Actions have been taken against these companies, including those providing financial services.

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Last year, 1 million 65 thousand 825 people were reported to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) for tax evasion, illegal betting, and failure to declare transactions made on behalf of others, resulting in 558 thousand 595 suspicious transaction notifications. Nearly 81% of these notifications were subjected to analysis.

TAX EVASION, ILLEGAL BETTING, AND GAMBLING

The vast majority of suspicious transaction notifications were received electronically, with 375 out of 442 reporting entities being financial institutions. The notifications mostly included crimes related to tax evasion, illegal betting, and failure to declare transactions made on behalf of others. Of the notifications, 15 thousand 768 were requests for deferral, and as a result of analyses conducted last year, deferral decisions were made for 4 thousand 994 of these requests. The number of individuals for whom a deferral decision was made for the first time last year was 669. In the analyses related to deferral requests, 521 reports were prepared for 1269 individuals, while two information notes and information sharing were sent to judicial authorities and law enforcement units. As a result of the work carried out by MASAK, confiscation decisions were made by judicial authorities for 73 out of 985 individuals for whom a deferral decision was taken. Last year, MASAK received 15 thousand 895 notifications and research requests. 95% of these requests (15 thousand 68) were research requests sent by judicial authorities and law enforcement units, while 5% (827) were defined as other requests, including individual and institutional notifications. A total of 2 thousand 170 applications were made to MASAK through the CIMER channel, of which 273 were notifications.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON MORE THAN 60 THOUSAND PEOPLE

During the relevant period, research was conducted on 60 thousand 467 individuals as part of analysis studies, resulting in the preparation of 4 thousand 621 reports or information notes. In 2024, 6 thousand 191 analysis files were concluded. Of these analysis files, 266 were related to the crime of illegal betting, and intelligence gathering and analysis studies were conducted on 27 thousand 428 individuals within the scope of these files. As a result of the studies, 263 analysis reports and information notes were prepared, along with a value report obtained from 19 crimes, which were sent to the relevant prosecutors' offices or the Cyber Crime Department of the General Directorate of Security for use in identifying illegal betting crimes.

CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS FILED REGARDING IDENTIFIED CRIMES

In the analysis and evaluation studies, criminal complaints were filed against a total of 328 individuals, including 180 individuals in money laundering investigations and 148 individuals. Within the scope of obligation audits, 423 obligated parties were audited, resulting in approximately 965 million lira in administrative fines, and criminal complaints were filed against 27 individuals. Additionally, compliance audits for targeted financial sanctions began for 177 obligated parties in 2024. On the other hand, financial intelligence units from 91 different countries requested information from MASAK 748 times. MASAK, in turn, requested information from financial intelligence units of 36 different countries 74 times.