Turkey reportedly orders the arrest of 417 suspects in money laundering probe

• Turkish prosecutors ordered the detention of 417 suspects in a money laundering investigation over the transfer of some 2.5 billion lira ($419 million) to bank accounts abroad, broadcaster CNN Turk said on Tuesday.
• Police and judicial authorities were not immediately available to comment on the report, which was also carried by other Turkish media.

Turkish prosecutors ordered the detention of 417 suspects in a money laundering investigation over the transfer of some 2.5 billion lira ($419 million) to bank accounts abroad, broadcaster CNN Turk said on Tuesday.

Istanbul police teams launched simultaneous raids across a series of provinces and detained many people, also carrying out searches of properties, the broadcaster said.

A man sells Turkish flags amongst crowds of shoppers on a market street on August 16, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Chris McGrath | Getty Images

Police and judicial authorities were not immediately available to comment on the report, which was also carried by other Turkish media.

The investigation was aimed at those who "targeted the economic and financial security of the Turkish Republic", it said.

It said the suspects had received commission for sending the money to 28,088 accounts abroad and that the accounts abroad belonged to Iranians in the United States.