Twenty-six people were detained for sending illegal betting advertisements via phone numbers starting with 0850. The suspects sent promotional and directing messages encouraging illegal betting to citizens' mobile phones.
The suspects used lines starting with 0850, obtained from telecommunications companies, for bulk message sending. These bulk messages were sent through panels authorized by telecommunications companies for mass messaging.
The identities and addresses of the suspects were determined through technical and physical surveillance. Simultaneous raids were conducted in eight Turkish provinces: Istanbul, Ankara, Balıkesir, İzmir, Kırıkkale, Muğla, Konya, and Bursa.
The Istanbul Police Department's Cyber Crimes Branch carried out the operation.