The investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the Ahbap Derneği continues. Previously, 18 suspects, including Haluk Levent, had been arrested as part of the investigation. Within the scope of the investigation, a detention order was issued for 9 more suspects.
In line with the decision, Oğuzhan Uğur, Gülgün Öztürk, Suzan Düşküner, Emir Taşar, Emre Kartaloğlu, Hüseyin Küçük, and Fatih Eke were taken into custody. It was learned that efforts to apprehend two more suspects, for whom detention orders have been issued, are ongoing.
It was reported that Uğur, who was taken into custody, was brought to the Vatan Police Department for official procedures, and that his home was searched by police teams. Images of Uğur being taken for a health check after his detention have emerged.
While the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has not yet provided any information regarding the subject of the investigation, it was learned that a private bank filed a suspicious transaction report with MASAK due to a large amount of foreign currency transferred from abroad to the bank account of Babala TV, owned by Oğuzhan Uğur.
The Istanbul Police Department Financial Crimes Branch Directorate, in coordination with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, had carried out operations to prevent "establishing an organization to commit a crime," "aggravated fraud," and "laundering assets derived from crime," and to apprehend suspects.
In this context, as a result of MASAK reports prepared for Ahbap Derneği employees, examination of account movements, and technical and physical surveillance activities, it was determined that there were high-value money movements inconsistent with the suspects' financial profiles, high-amount money transfers were made between them, they gambled by transferring large sums of money to lottery accounts and lost significant amounts through this method, and also carried out numerous consecutive title deed transfers among themselves in a short period.
As part of the investigation, 17 suspects, including singer Haluk Levent, who is the founder of the association and was determined to be connected to Ahbap Derneği members and employees, were taken into custody in an operation on July 12. Following the ongoing efforts, 7 more suspects were apprehended.
In a simultaneous operation conducted by the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch Directorate in Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli, and Mugla, 17 more suspects were taken into custody.
After their procedures at the police department, 1 suspect was released, while 14 of the 23 suspects referred to the courthouse, including Haluk Levent, were arrested.