Dilan Polat, a Turkish social media influencer famous for flaunting her extremely lavish lifestyle, was arrested along with her husband, sister, and their business team due to alleged money laundering and tax evasion. The starlet, with about 7 million Instagram followers, owns hundreds of beauty centers all over the country, which are alleged to be the vessels for laundering.
Polat would frequently post videos of herself adding edible gold to her morning coffee, spending millions on designer items, or gifting her workers expensive jewelry. When asked about the source of her income, she would simply state, 'I am the wife of my husband,' whom she deemed to be a successful businessman. The husband, Engin Polat, was a former taxi driver who reportedly became wealthy overnight due to 'successful business endeavors.'
The couple, who has two children (ages 10 and 2), has been under arrest since November 1st, and their assets are currently detained by the government. They are also accused of forming a weaponized criminal enterprise.
About two weeks after the Polats' arrest, influencer sisters Nihal Candan and Bahar Candan were also arrested due to another money laundering allegation. The sisters, aged 28 and 25, rose to fame on a reality show and later became influencers and OnlyFans content creators. Showcasing their luxurious lifestyle, the sisters amassed millions of followers. The police allege that they were part of a criminal enterprise involved in fraudulent vehicle sales, laundering their money.
In October, another influencer couple posting funny skits on Instagram, known as Var Böyle Tipler, with a large following was reported to have fled the country with 100 million Turkish liras they collected through fraudulent activities.
The Turkish government has stated that 600 more social media influencers are currently under investigation, so we will likely see more arrests in the coming weeks.
Sources: me watching the news, pic 1, pic 2, pic 3, pic 4
