Illegal betting in Cyprus

Relatives of murdered Turkish Cypriot businessman Halil Falyali have been organising illegal betting in northern Cyprus, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Wednesday.According to statements Soylu made to the Turkish news channel TRT, the area from the Balkans to Malta and the north is riddled with illegal online betting.For the specific operation, which was run in October, Soylu said that they made 101 arrests in Turkey, while 808 million Turkish lira were seized.He added that a new operation began on Monday In the October crackdown, Soylu said that another 136 individuals were identified as organising illegal betting, among them relatives of murdered Turkish Cypriot businessman Halil Falyali.Soylu said: “The income from these crimes can be used very easily in other countries.”Commenting on Falyali’s murder in February this year, Soylu said that as soon investigations began into the murder, which included six arrests in Turkey, authorities found activity around northern Cyprus and Malta.“We conducted a preliminary operation in October 2022. Again, we started a new operation from this morning [Monday]. In this context, specifically the organisation in question, there are 15 betting sites, which are active in island countries with a favourable tax regime, originating in Malta,” Soylu said