Turkey detains 80 more people over match-fixing network linked to $4.2 billion in illegal gambling

Turkish authorities have detained 80 more people in an operation targeting organized match-fixing and illegal gambling. For PSPs, the relevant detail is not the sports angle alone: prosecutors say the proceeds moved through crypto wallets and drop accounts, which is exactly the sort of flow pattern that turns a criminal case into an AML headache.

1. The operation was coordinated by the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and carried out by Istanbul financial crimes units across 24 provinces in Turkey.
2. According to prosecutors, the network organized illegal gambling and match-fixing tied to $4.2 billion. Authorities have not disclosed which matches were affected.
3. Investigation data says the proceeds were transferred through cryptocurrency wallets and then sent to additional accounts whose owners have not yet been identified. The scheme also made active use of drop accounts.
4. People working in the jewelry and financial sectors were also involved in the scheme, according to the prosecutors’ statement.
5. As part of the investigation, authorities seized 83 movable and immovable assets worth $7.7 million.