Spanish law enforcement authorities have arrested Turkish national Fedlan Kılıçaslan, who was placed on an international wanted list by Turkish prosecutors on suspicion of organizing a large-scale illegal gambling network and illicit bookmaking operations. According to Turkish and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, the suspect spent years building an international business empire, laundering illicit proceeds through a network of shell companies, proxy owners, and luxury real estate across Eastern Europe. The detainee remains in custody awaiting extradition, while Turkish courts have initiated extensive asset seizure proceedings.
Ukrainian call centers served as the primary vehicle for soliciting funds and defrauding victims. Until 2023, Kılıçaslan directly controlled two Lviv-based entities—»Advice House Plus» and «Uzman Trading.» According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), employees at these call centers used aggressive telemarketing tactics to convince Ukrainian and Turkish citizens to invest money in fraudulent online gaming platforms and illicit gambling services.
The scheme subsequently underwent restructuring to evade detection. Following Kılıçaslan’s formal exit from «Advice House Plus,» ownership was transferred to Mykhailo Ivanov—an individual associated with hundreds of corporate registrations. To further complicate law enforcement oversight, the company’s legal address was later relocated to the occupied city of Holaya Prystan. Despite these efforts, a entity tied to Kılıçaslan successfully registered the trademark «MeritKing» in 2023, a brand directly linked to a major Turkish online casino operations.
«According to investigators, fake call center employees used psychological tactics to persuade citizens to deposit funds into fraudulent online gambling platforms.»
Profits generated from illicit bookmaking were systematically laundered through high-end real estate acquisitions. In Lviv, Kılıçaslan held title to at least two residential apartments under his own name. However, the centerpiece of his luxury portfolio was established in Poland.
A Polish company controlled by Kılıçaslan acquired a 485-square-meter luxury apartment in Warsaw’s iconic Złota 44 skyscraper for 29.7 million PLN. The residence featured a private swimming pool, jacuzzi, cinema room, wine cellars, and three parking spaces. On social media platforms, Kılıçaslan regularly displayed his lifestyle, frequently posting photographs of a custom Ferrari.
The international manhunt culminated after Turkish prosecutors assembled evidence to issue a formal arrest warrant and initiate an Interpol red notice. Spanish police subsequently identified and apprehended Kılıçaslan while he was traveling in Spain.
Spanish judicial authorities are currently processing the Turkish government’s extradition request. Concurrently, law enforcement agencies in Turkey, Ukraine, and Poland continue to trace hidden bank accounts and corporate entities involved in laundering proceeds from the illegal online casino network.