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Turkish authorities detained 38 suspects and seized millions in assets Tuesday in the final phase of a major investigation into a cryptocurrency-backed illegal betting and money-laundering network.
The operation, dubbed Paymix-3, was conducted under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and carried out by the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command's Cybercrime Unit.
Authorities simultaneously targeted suspects in multiple locations across Türkiye, while 15 others believed to be operating abroad were placed under international judicial proceedings, including Red Notices issued through Interpol.
The Paymix investigation was launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Bureau for the Prevention of Terrorist Financing and Money Laundering.
Working alongside the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and the gendarmerie's cybercrime unit, investigators identified an organized criminal structure operating both domestically and internationally to facilitate illegal online gambling and launder the resulting proceeds.
At the center of the operation is Fincrypto UAB, a Malta-registered cryptocurrency payment provider operating under the name Paymix.
Investigators determined that the platform served as the financial backbone of illegal betting organizations, processing approximately $3 billion in monthly transactions.
Criminal proceeds were routed through shell companies, multi-layered transfer chains and cryptocurrency transactions before being reintegrated into the financial system through fraudulent commercial activity.
Two earlier operations set the stage for Monday's raids. Paymix-1 on March 6 and Paymix-2 on March 13 led to 30 arrests of senior network members.
Authorities seized many properties, vehicles, and bank and cryptocurrency accounts.
By order of the Istanbul Duty Criminal Court of Peace, three companies—Pentech Information Technologies Industry and Trade Limited Company, Beluza Software Information Technologies Tourism Agriculture Food and Construction Investments Limited Company, and Pen Telecommunications and Data Center Limited Company—have been placed under the management of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF).
Later analysis of Pentech's servers showed the company provided infrastructure and hosting for 49 illegal betting websites
It also stored large amounts of player and user data and helped process illegal transactions through many bank accounts.
In the May 5 operation, authorities simultaneously targeted 38 suspects: one was already in prison, 15 were operating from abroad, and 22 were located within Türkiye.
Investigators seized 26 vehicles, 18 residential properties, 18 agricultural plots, three commercial premises and 535 bank and cryptocurrency accounts.
As part of Paymix-3, authorities also targeted the technical systems used by illegal betting platforms. They took Pentech Bilisim's servers offline, which led to the shutdown of many illegal betting sites.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said the operation disrupted the systems of 49 illegal betting sites, blocked about 1,200 internet domains, and affected data for 15 million users stored on those servers.
A food company, Bildiin Kasap Gida Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret, formerly known as Kebab Factory Gida Uretim, was also put under TMSF administration after investigators found strong evidence it was funded with criminal money.
Justice Minister Gurlek also announced a separate operation against illegal online gambling and betting networks in eight provinces around Izmir.
Authorities say this group handled about ₺1.6 billion ($35.4 million) in illegal funds. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and police worked together on the operation.
Authorities said they have started international legal steps to find and arrest the 15 suspects believed to be outside Türkiye. The investigation into illegal betting and money laundering is still ongoing. No trial dates have been set.
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