A beauty influencer jailed while police probe a multi-million-pound money laundering scam astonished cops by demanding vitamin pills instead of asking to call her children.
Accused Dilan Polat, 33, was seized after her social media boasts of a multimillionaire VIP lifestyle raised police eyebrows in Istanbul, Turkey.
In one deal alone they found she and husband Engin Polat had run TRY 200 million (GBP 5.7 million) through the family’s 21 businesses covered by fake invoices.
But, according to local media, when mother-of-two Dilan Polat was put behind bars on 1st November her only concern was keeping her skin looking youthful.
She apparently begged police for special complexion-boosting vitamins and supplements so she could keep up her beauty regime in jail.
She told them: “My skin is very important. This place doesn’t suit my skin, I need to take my vitamins.”
Officers, according to local media, turned down the bizarre request.
Police were astonished that she asked for skin treatments but did not make a single request about seeing or talking to her children, according to reports.
Investigators unravelling the couple’s accounts believe they used their companies to launder money from organised crime and drugs for VIPs and criminal gangs in Turkey.
Officers further seized 12 members of their family and close friends also believed to be involved in the cash scam.
Police are also quizzing the couple over an armed attack on social media beauty rival Banu Parlak.
Dilan Polat, Engin Polat and his father Sezgin Polat are believed to have carried out the attack.
Local media reports that Dilan has hit rock bottom behind bars and called her husband saying: “I want to commit suicide.”
Her lawyers have visited her in Marmara Prison to assess her mental health.
The police began their investigation after noticing the couple’s countless social media posts about their lavish lifestyle, extravagant jewellery and luxury properties and vehicles.
Dilan had even bragged to her seven million Instagram followers that her husband had bought her a private plane.
But an investigation by the Organised Crimes Investigation Bureau reportedly revealed the couple allegedly gained their wealth by laundering funds through family-owned companies.
The Istanbul Anatolian Public Prosecutor’s Office requested that all assets belonging to the suspects be seized and their passports confiscated.
According to their reports, on one occasion, Dilan had funnelled TRY 200 million (GBP 5.7 million) into family-owned companies by issuing fake invoices supposedly in exchange for trade from three liquidated firms.
The investigation is ongoing.
