Probe targets 25 suspects across eight provinces for alleged money laundering through content on banned platform
\n ANKARA
\nTurkey detained 16 people and seized assets worth about 300 million lira ($6.9 million) on Friday in an investigation into alleged money laundering linked to content shared on the OnlyFans platform, prosecutors said.
\nThe probe, led by a department investigating terrorism financing and money laundering crimes, targeted 25 suspects and two companies in operations across eight provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, the Istanbul chief public prosecutor\u2019s office said.
\nProsecutors said suspects generated income by sharing explicit content on social media and directing users to paid platforms, including OnlyFans and private messaging channels such as Telegram.
\nOnlyFans has been blocked in Turkey since June 7, 2023, by a ruling of an Istanbul court on the grounds that it hosted content deemed contrary to public morality and family values.
\nDespite the ban, suspects were found to have accessed the platform via virtual private networks (VPNs), prosecutors said.
\nAccording to the statement, the suspects laundered proceeds through the purchase of assets, as well as investments in bitcoin and gold.
\nAuthorities have identified 10 properties, 14 vehicles and two companies linked to the suspects, with the total value of the assets estimated at around 300 million lira.
\nThe prosecutor\u2019s office stated that the investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Probe targets 25 suspects across eight provinces for alleged money laundering through content on banned platform ANKARA Turkey detained 16 people and seized assets worth about 300 million lira ($6.9 million) on Friday in an investigation into alleged money laundering linked to content shared on the OnlyFans platform, prosecutors said. The probe, led by a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":531266,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-531253","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n