Turkish police detained an eccentric religious leader and hundreds of his devotees on Wednesday on charges ranging from spying to sex abuse, thrilling one ex-disciple who described the group as a cult that imprisons its followers.

Adnan Oktar, a 62-year-old televangelist whose adherents include buxom beauties and young men in tailored suits, was detained in a pre-dawn raid at his Istanbul home, part of operations conducted in five provinces across the country to apprehend 235 suspects, reported the state-run Anadolu news agency. All 235 suspects have had their assets seized and the state has appointed administrators to run affiliated companies.

A statement from Istanbul police listed a litany of charges against Oktar and his group, including organized crime, child sexual abuse, kidnapping, blackmail and espionage. Oktar told reporters his arrest was part of a plot by the British.

A senior member of the group denied the charges, saying in a Facebook post that "dark centers" had misled authorities. "We believe in our state. With God's permission, this conspiracy will
prove inconclusive, just as previous ones have, and that the truth will emerge within the framework of the law and rights," the statement said.