Illegal betting organizations in Turkey have shifted their operations from villas and gated communities to residential addresses disguised as 'student houses.' This model, detected for the first time during recent operations, involves setting up financial and digital centers within student-heavy areas. [claim:1, claim:5]
The İzmir Provincial Police Department's Cyber Crimes Combat Branch and Intelligence Branch coordinated simultaneous operations on July 21 across İzmir, Aydın, Balıkesir, and Tekirdağ. The investigation centered in the Buca district of İzmir, where suspects favored the high concentration of students. [claim:2, claim:3, claim:6, claim:23]
Suspects, aged between 18 and 30, reportedly identified themselves as students to landlords to secure rental properties without issue. The organization rented a total of nine houses in various neighborhoods within the Buca district. The individuals residing in these houses were selected through a referral system and had not known each other before the operation. The residents included both unemployed individuals and university graduates. [claim:7, claim:8, claim:11, claim:12, claim:13, claim:14]
Within these properties, the suspects established a digital infrastructure using phones, tablets, computers, and numerous SIM cards. By obtaining 'admin' authority from overseas-based betting websites, they converted the houses into operation centers where betting activities were managed in shifts. Money traffic between players was managed via the Telegram messaging application following instructions from managers. [claim:9, claim:10, claim:15, claim:16]
To evade detection, the organization used bank accounts rented from others and transferred funds to multiple accounts to conceal its tracks. The operation also utilized GSM lines belonging to various people from different countries. When betting websites were shut down, the organization reportedly obtained new URL addresses and redirected players to new sites via VPN within one day. [claim:17, claim:18, claim:19]
The investigation, which includes charges of establishing an organization to commit crimes and violating Law No. 7258 on Organizing Bets and Games of Chance, resulted in the arrest of 20 suspects, with organization leader H.P. among them. [claim:4, claim:21, claim:25]. While 34 suspects were apprehended in the simultaneous operations, 13 were released under judicial control and one was released after providing a statement. Detention warrants have been issued for 36 suspects. [claim:22, claim:24, claim:26, claim:27]
Searches conducted at the crime houses and residences resulted in the seizure of an unlicensed pistol, multiple mobile phones, computers, digital materials, various SIM cards belonging to different individuals, and cards from banks and payment institutions. [claim:28]
The details of the operation were attributed to the Anadolu Agency (AA). [claim:29]