Four of 47 suspects taken into custody Tuesday were arrested Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption centered on Istanbul’s customs houses.
Another 41 of the suspects, who face charges of "giving and taking bribes" and "violating the Anti-Smuggling Law," were released pending trial. Two others, meanwhile, were released without charge shortly after being detained.
Among the suspects, Istanbul Customs House chief Lütfi Ekinci, Customs Officer İhsan Durmazer, Inspector Officer Erkan Uzanlıoğlu and Atatürk Airport Cargo Custom Manager Hayrettin Eker were arrested. The four were sent to the Paşakapısı Prison.
Police reported that the group’s main meeting spots were the Karaköy Customs Inspection Association and certain cafes in Istanbul’s Karaköy, Florya and Acıbadem areas. During their meetings, ring members discussed appointments to critical positions, false notifications to be made and import records to be falsified.
The operation, started by the Bakırköy Chief Prosecutor’s Office, resulted in the arrests of Ekinci, Atatürk Airport Cargo Terminal Manager Hayrettin Eter, Istanbul Smuggling Intelligence and Narcotic Customs House Manager Çoşkun Cihanoğlu, and 30 others on Saturday. A large amount of money was recovered from suspects; some attempted to dump their cash by flushing it down a toilet.
State Minister Hayati Yazıcı, responsible for customs affairs, has previously announced that others within the customs services should report any criminal activity in the institution directly to the ministry via a 24-hour hotline.
The Istanbul Police Department first noticed evidence of smuggling in June, and distributed an internal intelligence memo sparking the investigation. The intelligence memo reported suspicion that a ring of 20 people were operating a smuggling and bribery organization with Ekinci and also intervened at the borders by allowing smuggled goods to enter the country.
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