Turkish authorities have detained 20 suspects in a large-scale operation spanning 16 provinces and centered in Istanbul, dismantling a financial fraud network accused of laundering illicit funds through recruited bank account holders.

Investigators say the suspects used social media to recruit so-called "money mules," offering payments to individuals who handed over access to their bank accounts. The accounts were then used to receive and transfer money obtained through fraudulent schemes, The Caspian Post reports via TRT Haber.

The investigation found that members of the network withdrew cash from ATMs and bank branches before transferring part of the proceeds to cryptocurrency platforms in an effort to conceal the funds' origin.

The operation was carried out by Istanbul Police's Cybercrime Department under the coordination of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Legal proceedings against the detained suspects are ongoing.