Turkey arrests 78 in nationwide cyber‑crime crackdown on illegal betting

The Turkish Interior Ministry announced a coordinated operation in 20 provinces that targeted illegal betting, online child sexual exploitation and qualified fraud. The effort, led by the General Directorate of Security’s Cyber Crime Division together with MASAK and public prosecutors, resulted in 193 suspects being detained, of whom 78 were formally arrested and 30 placed under judicial control.

Investigators uncovered a betting network estimated at about 10 billion Turkish lira. Parallel raids in eight provinces seized digital evidence and resulted in 52 additional arrests. The operations also disrupted schemes involving online money‑laundering, phishing‑based product‑sale fraud and unauthorized access to mobile banking and gaming accounts.

Authorities said the crackdown demonstrates the state’s determination to combat organized cyber‑crime and protect citizens from financial loss and exploitation.