ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's state-run news agency says prosecutors have issued detention warrants against 417 people suspected of money laundering for transferring 2.5 billion Turkish lira (US$423 million) to thousands of bank accounts abroad.
Anadolu Agency said 216 of the suspects were detained Tuesday in early morning raids conducted in some 40 provinces across Turkey.
The agency said the suspects had received commissions for transferring money to 28,088 banks accounts abroad and that most of the accounts belonged to Iranians based in the United States.
Anadolu said the detentions follow a probe conducted by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board and police anti-financial crimes units.
The suspects are being questioned on suspicion of forming a criminal gang and violating laws to combat money laundering and the financing of terror.
Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
