Turkish authorities have detained 16 people in a probe into alleged money laundering linked to paid adult content shared online, seizing assets valued at around 300 million Turkish Liras ($6.9 million), prosecutors said on Feb. 13.
Led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the probe targeted 25 suspects and two companies in coordinated operations across eight provinces, including Ankara.
Prosecutors said the suspects earned income by posting sexually explicit material on public social media accounts and redirecting followers to paid platforms, primarily OnlyFans, as well as to private messaging channels such as Telegram.
OnlyFans has been blocked in Türkiye since June 2023 after a court ruled that the platform contained content incompatible with public morality and family values.
Despite the ban, investigators said the suspects accessed the site using VPN services.
According to the statement, the income generated from the content was allegedly laundered through the purchase of real estate and vehicles, as well as investments in bitcoin, gold and bank-based financial instruments.
The authorities said they confiscated 10 real estate properties, 14 vehicles and two companies associated with the suspects, valued collectively at roughly 257.2 million liras (about $5.8 million).
In recent years, Türkiye has tightened oversight on digital transfers and the informal economy.
Within this scope, authorities have significantly intensified their crackdown on money laundering and financial crimes, leading to a series of high-profile operations.
