Staff to be awarded for informing on oil smuggling activities

ANKARA - Hürriyet

Police seize smuggled oil kept in a depot in the Aegean province of İzmir. DHA photo

The government will grant 10 percent of all money from seized smuggled oil to the informants and public officials, in a bid to fight more actively against the large gray economy.

The Draft Law on Oil Smuggling, presented to the Cabinet by the Customs and Trade Ministry, will introduce a “premium system” that will award those who denounce the situation and the public officials who take part in the sting operation.

In the event of the criminals being caught, 10 percent of the total revenue - including taxes from sales of the seized oil - will be allocated to the informants, with public officials receiving the same amount. If the smugglers are sentenced, 15 percent of the total sales revenue will be allocated to the parties as additional premium. In the event that oil smugglers are caught without any informing, 15 percent of the revenue will be allocated to the public officials.

The new law will unite all legal regulations that the government had previously introduced in the struggle against oil smuggling.