Turkish authorities on Monday arrested quite a few suspects, together with Erkan Kork, the chairperson of BankPozitif and digital funds supplier PayFix, as a part of a significant operation concentrating on unlawful on-line betting.
Kork faces accusations of laundering funds from unlawful playing actions and facilitating unauthorized transactions. The operation led to the detention of 52 people in Istanbul, with 21 formally taken into custody, together with Kork.
Authorities have additionally seized Kork’s affiliated companies, together with BankPozitif, PayFix, and the native media outlet Flash TV. BankPozitif, which doesn’t settle for deposits, was acquired by PayFix from Israel’s Bank Hapoalim in 2023.
BankPozitif’s administration has been transferred to Türkiye’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) mentioned individually on Monday.
PayFix and Flash TV have been additionally seized by the state. As a part of the operation, authorities confiscated belongings valued at TL 6.9 billion ($190 million).
The crackdown is a part of Türkiye’s broader efforts to strengthen oversight of digital funds amid rising issues in regards to the prevalence of unlawful playing.
The Financial Crimes Investigation Board (Masak) found that almost 50 million betting-related transactions, amounting to TL 4 billion, have been processed by PayFix accounts and directed to cryptocurrency exchanges.
Prosecutors allege that Kork integrated these playing operations into PayFix’s methods.
The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) introduced it had suspended all operational licenses by PayFix, in addition to two different cost corporations, Ininal and Aypara, which have additionally been below investigation by judicial authorities.
Türkiye enforces strict rules on playing, having banned each casinos and on-line playing in previous a long time. However, unlawful playing stays persistent, significantly in skilled soccer, regardless of the existence of state-run lotteries and licensed betting companies.
Source: www.dailysabah.com