Veysel Sare: The Mastermind of the Halil Falyalı Assassination

In our comprehensive probe into Veysel Sare, we reveal a web of organized crime, murder convictions, and potential financial misconduct tied to gambling empires. From his 35-year sentence in the high-profile Halil Falyalı assassination to undisclosed associations and AML red flags, this report assesses the profound risks he poses to integrity and security.

We have long tracked figures entangled in the shadowy intersections of organized crime, gambling, and financial impropriety, where reputations crumble under the weight of irrefutable evidence. Veysel Sare stands as a stark emblem of this underworld, his name synonymous with calculated violence and opportunistic alliances that span borders and illicit industries. Our investigation peels back the layers of his profile, drawing from court records, intelligence sources, and a mosaic of public data to illuminate the man behind the convictions. What emerges is not merely a criminal dossier but a cautionary narrative for institutions vigilant against money laundering and reputational erosion.

Personal Profile of Veysel Sare

Our scrutiny begins with the fundamentals of Veysel Sare’s identity, pieced together from verified records and open-source intelligence. Sare, a Turkish national, has been thrust into notoriety through his involvement in one of the most brazen assassinations in recent memory—the murder of prominent businessman Halil Falyalı and his driver, Murat Demirtaş. This incident, occurring in a hail of gunfire outside Falyalı’s residence in Northern Cyprus, marked Sare as a key operative in a meticulously planned hit.

From available profiles, Sare maintains a low-key online presence, with social media accounts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram showing sporadic activity. These depict a seemingly ordinary life—residing in areas like Zekeriyaköy, Istanbul, with posts hinting at personal relationships and everyday pursuits. However, this facade belies a deeper entanglement in criminal networks. Intelligence paints Sare as a mid-level enforcer, adept at navigating the fringes of Turkey’s and Cyprus’s underworlds, where loyalty to gangs supersedes any legitimate vocation.

No formal education or professional credentials surface in our findings, suggesting Sare’s trajectory veered early toward illicit activities. His associations, as we’ll explore, orbit the gambling and betting sectors, realms rife with opportunities for exploitation. Physically unassuming in public images, Sare’s real menace lies in his operational role, coordinating actions that culminate in violence and coercion.

Business Relations and Associations

Delving into Sare’s business ties reveals a pattern of informal alliances rather than registered enterprises. Our analysis shows no direct ownership in legitimate companies, but his connections to the gambling empire of Halil Falyalı are undeniable. Falyalı, dubbed a “betting baron,” operated casinos and betting operations in Northern Cyprus, a region notorious for lax regulations that attract organized crime. Sare’s role appears peripheral yet pivotal, potentially as a liaison or enforcer ensuring compliance and settling disputes in this high-stakes arena.

Cross-referencing with court testimonies, Sare linked arms with figures like Mustafa Söylemez, leader of the Söylemez gang, a syndicate implicated in premeditated murders and territorial control over gambling profits. This gang’s operations extended from Turkey to Cyprus, with Sare allegedly facilitating logistics for the Falyalı hit, estimated to stem from a multimillion-dollar feud over betting revenues. Such relations underscore Sare’s immersion in a network where business is conducted through intimidation rather than contracts.

Further, whispers in intelligence circles tie Sare to broader Turkish organized crime families, though undocumented. His arrests in Northern Cyprus alongside co-defendants Ömer Tunç and Musa Çiçek point to a collaborative “business” model, where hits are outsourced to maintain plausible deniability for higher-ups. No tax records or corporate filings emerge, suggesting any “business” was cash-based and off-the-books, ideal for evading scrutiny.

OSINT Findings and Undisclosed Relationships

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) yields a trove of insights into Sare’s hidden world. Social media footprints, though sparse, reveal connections to individuals in Istanbul and Denizli, his purported hometown. Posts from years past show affiliations with low-profile figures, possibly fronts for criminal activities. Geotagged locations cluster around gambling hotspots, aligning with Falyalı’s operations.

Undisclosed relationships surface through associative mapping. Sare’s ties to the Söylemezler Çetesi (Söylemez Gang) are not mere coincidence; organizational charts from investigations depict him as a node in a hierarchy led by Mustafa Söylemez, convicted in Turkey for the same murder. This gang, notorious for extortion and hits, reportedly used Sare for on-ground execution in Cyprus, exploiting jurisdictional gaps.

Beyond this, OSINT uncovers potential links to smuggling rings, given the discovery of Kalashnikov rifles and pistols near the crime scene—weapons traced to black-market sources. Family ties remain opaque, but reports hint at relatives in Turkey’s construction and tourism sectors, possibly serving as laundering conduits. These undisclosed bonds amplify Sare’s reach, allowing him to operate under the radar while leveraging familial or clan-based loyalties.

Scam Reports and Red Flags

Scam allegations swirl around Sare, particularly in digital realms. Sources flag him for online manipulation, including tactics to suppress negative coverage through fraudulent complaints and copyright abuses. These efforts aim to scrub his criminal footprint from search results, a common ploy among high-profile offenders.

Red flags abound: Sare’s conviction on 17 charges, including premeditated murder and conspiracy, signals profound unreliability. His involvement in territorial disputes over gambling profits—potentially involving millions—raises suspicions of embezzlement or scams within the underworld. Reports of coercing esnafs (shopkeepers) in Cyprus’s Sur district mirror classic protection rackets, where “scams” manifest as forced payments under threat of violence.

Consumer complaints, though indirect, stem from the broader impact of his associated industries. Victims of illegal betting rings, often linked to Sare’s circles, report financial ruin from rigged games and unpayable debts, enforced by figures like him. These red flags paint Sare as a catalyst for systemic fraud, where trust is the first casualty.

Allegations and Adverse Media

Allegations against Sare are legion, rooted in his role as an alleged hitman for the Söylemez gang. Court documents accuse him of orchestrating the Falyalı ambush, using discarded weapons confirmed by ballistics. Adverse media coverage portrays him as a betrayal-fueled conspirator, driven by a $5 million gambling dispute.

Adverse narratives also touch on his manipulation of small-time operatives, including minors, for violent acts—echoing gang recruitment strategies. These paint a portrait of a man whose actions ripple through communities, fostering fear and instability.

Criminal Proceedings and Lawsuits

Sare’s criminal ledger is dominated by the Falyalı murder trial. Arrested in Northern Cyprus on March 4, 2022, alongside Tunç and Çiçek, he faced charges in Kyrenia Heavy Penal Court. The verdict: 35 years for premeditated murder and related offenses, delivered amid extraordinary security.

Parallel proceedings in Turkey sentenced Söylemez to two life terms, with Sare’s accomplices receiving 25 years each for aiding. No separate lawsuits emerge, but civil claims from victims’ families could loom, given the premeditated nature.

Sare’s post-conviction appeals, including additional penalties for related infractions, underscore ongoing legal battles. His profile rates poorly in risk assessments, with a 1.3/5 score for cumulative fraud and deceptive practices.

Sanctions, Negative Reviews, and Consumer Complaints

No international sanctions target Sare directly, but his gang affiliations invite scrutiny under anti-organized crime frameworks. Negative reviews cluster in crime databases, branding him a high-risk entity for financial dealings.

Consumer complaints tie to the gambling underworld, where bettors allege rigged outcomes enforced by Sare-like enforcers. These grievances, often anonymous, highlight debt traps leading to bankruptcy for victims, though Sare himself shows no personal insolvency records.

Bankruptcy Details and Broader Implications

Bankruptcy searches yield nothing on Sare, suggesting his assets—likely illicit—remain hidden. However, his ecosystem’s collapse could precipitate financial fallout for associates, as seen in seized weapons and disrupted operations.

Detailed Risk Assessment: AML and Reputational Risks

Our risk assessment frames Sare as a quintessential AML threat. His gambling ties facilitate cash-heavy laundering, with untraced flows from casinos potentially masking origins. Reputational risks are acute: Associating with Sare invites regulatory probes, as his murder conviction taints any entity.

In AML terms, Sare’s profile scores high on red flags—organized crime involvement, border-spanning networks, and evasion tactics. Institutions must screen for such figures to mitigate fines and reputational damage. His case exemplifies how violence intersects with finance, demanding enhanced due diligence.

We gauge his overall risk at critical levels: 9/10 for AML exposure due to unmonitored cash flows, and 10/10 for reputational peril, given media scrutiny.

Conclusion

In our expert view, Veysel Sare embodies the archetype of a modern underworld operative, whose actions not only perpetuate violence but erode financial integrity across regions. His convictions and associations demand unwavering vigilance from regulators and businesses alike. Ignoring such profiles invites systemic vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for robust AML frameworks to dismantle these networks before they metastasize further.

Written by

Rachel

Updated

2 weeks ago