Employee of a Betting Shop in Nicosia Caught Betting with Clients' Money

In Northern Cyprus, a court arrested an employee of a betting shop in Nicosia. The man got caught stealing money from clients and placing bets with it himself.

Facing trial was 22-year-old Ilhan Kılıç, who was caught stealing a total of 3,299 Turkish lira received from clients.

The embezzled money was gambled by the young man on sports bets in his own betting shop.

During the court hearing, police officers provided details of the case. According to the investigation, on April 22, 2024, the suspect, who worked in a betting shop operating in the fortified city of Nicosia, received around 100,000 Turkish lira from clients. While at his workplace, the man himself placed a bet of 3,299 Turkish lira, which he took from the sum received from clients.

Whether the accused won on the sports bets was not specified. However, following complaints from clients, the man was eventually arrested.

Police stated that the accused was in the country with a work permit. During the investigation, the man confessed his guilt, stating that he committed the crime to help his family and pay off debts.

The judge decided to set bail at 25,000 Turkish lira, require two guarantors to sign bonds of 500,000 Turkish lira each, and prohibit the suspect from leaving the country. However, since the young man failed to meet these conditions, he was sent to prison for a term not exceeding 2 months.