Argentina has extradited a Turkish national who previously served as a casino manager at a hotel in the Girne region of northern Cyprus, after authorities tied him to an alleged international money laundering network that moved nearly $158m through cryptocurrency platforms and illegal gambling operations.
The Argentine Federal Police (PFA), acting in coordination with the Ministry of National Security, executed the extradition following an Interpol red notice issued in 2021. The suspect was apprehended on December, 2025, at Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza) after being flagged by Argentina’s National Directorate of Migration.
The investigation, initiated by Turkish judicial authorities in June 2021, identified suspicious transactions exceeding $3m originating from a cryptocurrency wallet and transferred to an alleged ringleader already under investigation. Authorities claim the network used banks, payment service providers and crypto exchanges, fragmenting transfers to avoid detection.
According to official statements, the group coordinated operations through a messaging platform under the name “Koin Sohbet.” The probe examined approximately 3,500 virtual wallet addresses linked to 218 individuals, who collectively transferred close to $158m to the network’s administrators.
The extradition was authorized by Federal Judge Luis Antonio Armella of the Federal Court No. 2 in Lomas de Zamora. A Turkish police delegation took custody of the suspect at Ezeiza for transfer to Istanbul, where he is expected to stand trial.
Turkey has intensified scrutiny of crypto-related financial flows in recent years, introducing stricter AML reporting requirements for virtual asset service providers through its Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK)
