Illegal betting networks in Türkiye's western province of Izmir have shifted their operations from luxury villas and gated communities to houses rented under the guise of student residences, using them as financial and digital command centers to evade police detection, an investigation revealed.
The new method was uncovered during a series of operations targeting illegal betting organizations, exposing how criminal groups adapted their tactics after previous police crackdowns.
An operation coordinated by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, with cybercrime and intelligence units of the Provincial Police Department, led to raids in Izmir, Aydin, Balikesir and Tekirdag, resulting in the arrest of 20 suspects and revealing the organization's latest operating model.
According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA), investigators found for the first time in the Izmir-based investigation that residences rented under the pretense of student housing had replaced villas and homes in gated communities as the financial hubs of illegal betting operations.
The suspects deliberately rented properties in Buca, a district home to a large university student population. Most were between the ages of 18 and 30 and introduced themselves to landlords as students to avoid attracting suspicion.
