[REVISION HISTORY]

Turkey intensifies crackdown on crime, drugs and betting

Updated 24 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-25 09:44 UTC → 2026-10-26 07:18 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Turkey’s security drive intensified throughout 2026, targeting organised crime, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and terrorism. In August, investigations into Dinamikpay Elektronik Para ve Ödeme Hizmetleri A. Ş. led to the detention of 13 individuals for alleged involvement in illegal betting and money laundering. This was followed by a large-scale operation across 12 provinces investigating the leakage of sensitive information to crime syndicates, resulting in the detention of 37 suspects, including several police and customs officers. Illegal betting crackdowns expanded significantly in September. Authorities targeted 345 sites and blocked approximately 98,000 internet links, seizing 1,200 bank accounts. An investigation into Trpos Ödeme Kuruluşu AŞ led to 24 detentions after officials allegedly used payment infrastructure to facilitate 3.1 billion lira in illegal transactions during 2024-2025. In mid-September, a massive crackdown centered in Gaziantep spanned 24 provinces; utilizing the ‘Şahin’ AI-powered data analysis program, authorities identified a transaction volume of over 21.8 billion TL across 1.3 million transactions, resulting in 153 detainees. Simultaneously, the ‘Sokaklar Güvende’ (Streets are Safe) initiative saw 151 simultaneous operations nationwide, leading to the arrest of 1,028 suspects and the identification of approximately 26.9 billion TL in suspicious transactions. In mid-October, law enforcement expanded its reach. A coordinated effort involving 58 provinces targeted “next-generation crime organizations” that used social media to recruit hitmen, resulting in 348 detentions. In Van, an investigation into financial crimes and illegal betting uncovered over 2.3 billion lira in suspicious transactions. Major betting and fraud operations continued through late October. In Kütahya, an investigation identified betting structures with a 14.9 billion TL transaction volume, while a Tekirdağ operation targeted assets linked to 2.1 billion TL. In Istanbul, the ‘PAYMIX 5’ case led to 18 detentions and the freezing of 467 accounts. In mid-to-late October, operations against illegal betting and financial crime expanded.

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