14.03.2025 19:21
Due to an illegal betting investigation in Istanbul, the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has been appointed as the trustee for 23 companies, including Pozitifbank, Payfix, and Flash TV, which were seized.
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In an illegal betting operation in Istanbul, 23 companies, including Pozitifbank, Payfix, and Flash News TV, were seized, and 43 suspects, including Erkan Kork, who is alleged to be the organization leader, were detained.
AN ADMINISTRATOR WAS APPOINTED TO FLASH TV AND POZITIFBANK
A new development occurred in the operation. An administrator from the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) was appointed to the 23 companies, including Pozitifbank, Payfix, and Flash TV, which were seized as part of the investigation.
43 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE CHANNEL OWNER, ARE IN CUSTODY
As part of the illegal betting investigation conducted by the Organized Crimes Investigation Office of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a simultaneous operation was carried out against 59 suspects, including Erkan Kork, the owner of Flash News TV, which is part of Pozitifbank Payfix Payment Institution and Göktuğ Multimedia Publishing Inc. Out of these, 43 were detained. The suspects are being investigated for the charges of 'establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime', 'money laundering of assets derived from a crime', and 'violating Law No. 7258 on the Regulation of Betting and Gambling in Football and Other Sports Competitions'.
"CONTACT WITH ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL BETTING ACTIVITIES"
It has been determined that Erkan Kork, who is alleged to be the organization leader, entered the financial system through a company named 'Troy Bilişim' since 2014 and systematically contacted organizations engaged in illegal betting activities within the country. It was found that Kork established a systematic organization called 'Payfix' using the proceeds from the crime. Thanks to the software developed within 'Payfix', it was determined that the domains referred to as 'panels' by illegal betting barons were integrated into Payfix's financial software system, allowing many foreign-based virtual betting sites to operate in Turkey. Additionally, it was found that they provided money transfer and financial security services to illegal betting sites using Payfix's service infrastructure, created fake 'Payfix' account wallets on behalf of third parties, opened accounts, and laundered illegal betting revenues through these fake accounts.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MORE THAN 4 BILLION LIRA WAS TRANSFERRED
According to the audit reports of MASAK and the Central Bank, 80,011 different money transfer clusters were detected in the 'Payfix' database system. A total of 211,109 accounts belonging to these clusters were identified, while 855 account holders were reported to be at risk in terms of illegal betting. Furthermore, it was determined that these clusters showed similarities to the typology of illegal betting, and it was found that the individuals under analysis transferred 4 billion 223 million 399 thousand 614 lira from their bank accounts to the bank accounts of cryptocurrency service providers. In detailed examinations, it was determined that 43,861 Payfix wallet accounts accessed during the relevant money transfer transactions received 49 million 671 thousand 178 money transfer transactions between August 21 and October 19, 2023, and these transactions were linked to illegal betting activities.
As part of the investigation, it was determined that the suspects acted in a trust relationship with each other to manage the payment institution named 'Payfix' and established connections with banks and companies that could directly affect financial life. In this context, it was found that they purchased PozitifBank and laundered the proceeds of crime by establishing or acquiring many commercial companies, including Capital Türk Holding, Ay Para Payment Institution Inc., and Ininal Payment and Electronic Money Services Inc.
ASSETS WERE SEIZED
Seventeen residences, nine plots, one office, thirteen vehicles belonging to the organization leader and members, as well as personal accounts and cryptocurrency wallets of the suspects; 23 companies and a total of 114 vehicles belonging to these companies; in addition, a total financial impact area valued at 6 billion 900 million lira, including the partnership shares of the companies and the companies' cryptocurrency wallets, was seized.
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