According to Turkish officials, the Paymix-3 crackdown dismantled a criminal structure with about $3 billion in monthly transaction volume. The country’s Justice Minister, Akin Gurlek, said that the scheme used crypto assets and shell companies to move and hide illegal proceeds.
Cyber Infrastructure Was the Main Target
The raid was coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and conducted by the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command. Prosecutors identified 38 suspects having ties within the country and abroad. The companies allegedly financed by criminal proceeds were placed under TMSF trusteeship.
What Authorities Took Offline
It was reported that 49 illegal betting sites had their server infrastructure shut down. An estimated 1,200 internet domains linked to the network had also been disconnected. Around 15 million user records belonging to the networks were involved in the case, as cited by the Justice Minister.
Türkiye Today also reported the seizure of the following:
- 26 vehicles;
- 18 residential properties;
- 18 agricultural plots;
- 3 business locations;
- 535 bank and cryptocurrency accounts.
Pentech Bilişim server systems were reportedly taken offline as part of the case.
Why Paymix-3 Goes Beyond Domain Blocking
Turkey has already targeted the payment aspect of illegal betting. Earlier probes involved payment channels and alleged transaction flows above TL40 billion. With Paymix-3, there comes another dimension – the hosting and data infrastructure that power the betting sites.
A blocked domain can often be replaced. Payment flows can sometimes be rerouted through another account or service. However, servers, user data, bank accounts, and business structures are more difficult to re-establish when seized simultaneously.
The challenge for illegal operators is not limited to the forfeiture of their domain name anymore. The new risk is losing the operating base behind multiple sites.
What Comes Next
As the case suggests, Turkey views illegal betting from both financial crime and cybercrime perspectives. Payment processors, crypto channels, hosting firms, and data handlers may be under greater scrutiny when they interact with high-risk betting traffic.
Paymix-3 seems to be a sharper enforcement tool. Website blocking remains relevant, but for only a short while. Measures like server disruption, account freezes, and trustee appointments hit deeper parts of the supply chain. Should Turkey continue with its strategy, then illegal operations will need more than mere domain-mirroring.
