TLDR
- Turkish prosecutors ordered 121 suspects jailed pending trial in an illegal betting case.
- Police used an AI system called AVCI, meaning “hunter,” to decode slang and emojis on Telegram.
- AVCI flagged 306,000 potentially incriminating messages across 47 groups.
- A 21-year-old software developer was named as a suspected ringleader.
- The same tool analyzed 600,000 messages in a May probe that led to 108 arrests.
Turkish prosecutors have ordered 121 suspects jailed pending trial in an illegal betting case. Police built the case with help from an artificial intelligence system that reads coded messages on Telegram. The tool helped investigators link suspected betting groups to one another.
The system is called AVCI, which means “hunter” in Turkish. Istanbul police developed it to study criminal activity on messaging platforms. Authorities say it played a key role in finding the groups behind this case.
Police carried out raids across 39 provinces on Tuesday, Nov. 3. They were looking for 194 suspects. Officers detained 169 people during the operation.
Prosecutors shared the results on Saturday, Nov. 7. Of those detained, 121 were jailed pending trial. Another 45 were released under judicial supervision, and three were freed without restrictions.
Reading Emojis as Evidence
AVCI is an open source intelligence analysis system. It uses natural language processing to understand slang, coded words, and emoji combinations. These are the kinds of signals that standard keyword searches can miss.
Suspected drug dealers and illegal betting operators use this type of language to hide their activity. That detail comes from a July report in the Turkish newspaper Türkiye Gazetesi. The report described how the software works in criminal investigations.
The system also studies photos and videos shared in groups. It can link accounts that use different identities. It then maps how members of a suspected criminal group are connected.
One feature lets investigators copy messages in closed groups as they appear. This means police can keep records even after suspects delete their messages. Deleted chats can still be used as part of the evidence trail.
Turkish newspaper Sabah reported on Sunday that AVCI flagged 306,000 potentially incriminating messages. These messages were linked to 47 groups. Sabah did not say how many messages came from each group.
Sabah also named a 21-year-old software developer as a suspected ringleader. He allegedly used the name of Michael Carroll, a well-known British lottery winner, as his Telegram alias.
A Second Major Gambling Case
This is not the first time AVCI has been used in a gambling probe. In May, police said the system analyzed 600,000 messages in an investigation covering 35 provinces. That case led to 108 arrests.
The two cases show the tool’s growing use in Turkey’s cybercrime investigations. Both focused on betting groups that operate through messaging apps.
In the latest case, Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, known as MASAK, reviewed transactions tied to the suspected illegal gambling. Police searched homes and businesses across the country at the same time.
Local reports say officers seized phones, SIM cards, laptops, and other electronic equipment. The items were taken during searches in multiple provinces.
Turkey bans unauthorized online betting. Police have stepped up action against groups that use messaging apps to promote gambling and handle payments.
The 121 suspects ordered jailed will remain in custody while they wait for trial. Prosecutors have not yet announced a trial date.
