Turkish firm absolved on smuggling claims

Dinçer Gökçe ISTANBUL / Hürriyet

A Turkish company that was accused of selling unregistered gold has been absolved of allegations and the seized gold has been returned. REUTERS photo

Turkish construction firm Polimeks has been absolved of charges of smuggling 15 million Turkish Liras’ worth of gold that were seized at an Istanbul airport in February.

The public prosecutor of Istanbul, who led an investigation into the company, ruled out allegations by the customs directorate’s of any illegal gold sales while also rejecting the customs directorate’s objections to the decision.

In February, a Turkmenistan Airlines plane carrying 190 kilograms of gold from Istanbul to Ashgabat was held at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport due to a false statement that claimed it was carrying sinks.

The Istanbul Customs Enforcement Directorate for Intelligence of Smuggling and Narcotics seized the unregistered gold, but after the prosecution’s decision, the gold has been handed back to its owner.

Polimeks is a construction firm that carries out projects in Turkey and abroad. It built the Palace of Happiness, the Television Tower and the first yacht club in Turkmenistan.