26.12.2025 22:26
In the investigation regarding the allegation of "money laundering of assets derived from crime" against PAYCO Electronic Money and Payment Services Inc., 15 out of 30 suspects who were detained have been arrested.
15 of the 30 suspects detained as part of the investigation into the allegation of "money laundering of assets derived from crime" against PAYCO Electronic Money and Payment Services Inc. have been arrested.
The investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, through the Office for the Prevention of the Financing of Terrorism and Money Laundering, is ongoing against PAYCO Electronic Money and Payment Services Inc. and the company officials.
The procedures of the 30 suspects detained within the scope of the investigation have been completed at the police station. After health checks, the suspects were transferred to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED
Of the suspects who gave statements at the prosecutor's office, 21 were referred to the peace criminal court for arrest, and 9 were referred for judicial control.
The court decided to arrest 15 suspects and to apply judicial control measures to 15 other suspects.
WHAT HAPPENED?
In a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was expressed that an investigation was initiated regarding the offenses of "violating Law No. 7258 on the Regulation of Betting and Gambling in Football and Other Sports Competitions" and "money laundering of assets derived from crime."
The statement indicated that in the Central Bank's audit report and MASAK analyses, it was determined that the criminal proceeds obtained from illegal betting and illegal forex/fraud activities were systematically funneled into the financial system through electronic money and payment service providers, and subsequently attempted to be laundered through numerous domestic and foreign companies.
According to the identified actions, in the first phase, 11 suspects were detained in a simultaneous operation organized by the Cyber Crime Branch of the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command in Istanbul, Ankara, Kocaeli, and Yalova, where search and seizure measures were applied at the addresses, 9 suspects were arrested, and 2 suspects were released under judicial control.
"THE CRIME OF 'FACILITATING MONEY TRANSFER' WAS COMMITTED"
The statement noted that in light of the deepening investigation and new evidence obtained, some suspects who served as software engineers, IT personnel, and project managers within the organizational structure actively participated in the transfer and concealment of criminal proceeds obtained from illegal betting and illegal forex/fraud activities through electronic money infrastructures, software systems, and financial routing mechanisms, thereby committing the crime of "facilitating money transfer."
As a result of the ongoing investigation, a second phase operation was conducted against suspects who were assessed to have taken active roles in operational, administrative, and technical processes within the organizational hierarchy, participated in the routing of criminal proceeds through software infrastructures, managed electronic money accounts, and concealed financial flows. The statement included the following: "In simultaneous operations carried out by the Cyber Crime Branch of the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command in Istanbul, Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Kocaeli, and Yalova, 28 suspects were detained, and search and seizure operations were conducted at their addresses to clarify the suspects' roles and positions within the organization, obtain financial and digital evidence, trace the proceeds of crime, and preserve evidence, and these operations are ongoing. The investigation continues to be conducted in a multifaceted and meticulous manner to protect financial security, prevent the entry of criminal proceeds into the economic system, and reveal all aspects of the organizational structure."
In ongoing operations, 2 more suspects were detained, bringing the total number of suspects to 30.