Turkey: 220 nabbed over alleged fuel-related tax fraud

By Sertac Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - Security forces arrested 220 suspects across Turkey Saturday in the biggest operation against fuel-related tax evasion in the country's history.

Police carried out the operation, dubbed Silici, as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office across 50 provinces, arresting 220 suspects for allegedly incurring financial damages on government bodies via information systems, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Authorities seized computers and mobile phones, among other digital materials and financial documents, amid the searches that were conducted with the participation of tax inspectors and revenue specialists at 242 points, including 170 fuel stations and 23 fuel distribution companies.

The sales data of at least 608 million liters of fuel were deleted from gas stations' ledgers by tampering in the automation control systems.

This amounted to a loss of 3.6 billion Turkish liras ($482 million) worth of fuel, costing Turkey 15 billion liras (over $2 billion) over five years, according to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK).

*Writing by Seda Sevencan