Security officials and tax analysts state that about $9.5 Billion in tax revenue was lost to the Government of Turkey due to cigarette smuggling on the black market. In January 2010, the Turkish government raised the tobacco excise tax by 30 percent, thus creating a demand for tobacco on the black market. Back in 2007,… Continue reading Loss in Tax Revenue from Cigarette Smuggling in Turkey over 5 years
Tag: Turkey Security Threats
Counterfeit Drugs in Turkey
An organized crime ring in Turkey was broken up by police for selling counterfeit drugs to patients in Turkey and the United States. The ring was packaging flu medicine that was worth $1.34 (3 Turkish Lira), and selling the medicine as fake cancer drugs to cancer patients for $671 (1,500 Lira). The sellers would track… Continue reading Counterfeit Drugs in Turkey
Captagon in Syria and Lebanon
According to media reports, the price to buy a tablet of Captagon in Syria is between $5 to $20. The market for Captagon in the Middle East has increased in recent years as the war in Syria has continued. Criminal justice officials believe that Syria produced the most Captagon tablets in 2013, surpassing Lebanon as… Continue reading Captagon in Syria and Lebanon
Prostitution Rates for VIP Service in Turkey
According to user submitted information, prostitutes in Turkey charge $30 for an hour of service, and to $100 for the night. In the larger metropolitan areas such as Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul, the rate for the prostitute increases. Sex workers in those areas are able to charge up to $500 per night for VIP services.… Continue reading Prostitution Rates for VIP Service in Turkey
Prices Charged by Organ Traffickers in Turkey
Police in Turkey broke up an organ trafficking ring that was operating across the country. According to media reports, the traffickers were purchasing livers and kidneys for $10,000 (20,000 Turkish Liras) from people who wanted to sell their organs. The gang found these sellers through postings on the Internet. The traffickers would then take the… Continue reading Prices Charged by Organ Traffickers in Turkey
Number of Prostitutes in Turkey
Based upon reports and figures collected by a non-governmental organization, there are around 118,000 women and girls working as prostitutes in Turkey. The NGO stated that the majority of the prostitutes are street workers. Over 100,000 females work as street prostitutes across Turkey, with half of the females being children. In addition to the street,… Continue reading Number of Prostitutes in Turkey
Price to Buy Cancer Drugs in Turkey’s Black Market
The Turkish Pharmacologists Association takes between 2 to 30 days to import cancer treatment drugs for over 30,000 patients each month. Due to this delay, a black market managed by hospital staff has developed in hospitals across Turkey. According to media reports, the cancer treatment drug Deticene normally costs $27 (52 Turkish Liras). If a patient… Continue reading Price to Buy Cancer Drugs in Turkey’s Black Market
Lost Tobacco Tax Revenue in Turkey
The Turkish Government losses $2.5 Billion (4.5 Billion Turkish Liras) in tax revenue each year due to cigarette smuggling activities, according to the Confederation of Turkish Craftsmen and Tradesmen. Out of all cigarette packages smoked in the country, one out of every five packages are smuggled into the country. In the southeast region of Turkey,… Continue reading Lost Tobacco Tax Revenue in Turkey
Human Smuggling Fee from Iran to the EU
An international human smuggling ring was broken up by Europol in November 2012 that was smuggling people from Iran in to various countries of the European Union.
Price of a Kidney in India, Romania, Moldova and Turkey
According to news reports, the price of a kidney sold on the black market in India is around $1,000 (55,000 Indian Rupees). In India, the prison term for illegally selling a kidney is five years in prison.
In Romania and Moldova, the price to purchase a black market kidney is $2,700. In Turkey, the price of the kidney goes up to $10,000.