ISTANBUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities detained 33 suspects on Tuesday in a major nationwide operation over alleged manipulation of fresh fruit and vegetable prices, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said.
Investigators accused major suppliers of understating supply and inflating costs to drive prices higher, the office said.
Detention warrants were issued for 41 executives from 41 major wholesale distribution companies, while police conducted simultaneous searches at 109 workplaces and residences in 22 provinces, it added.
The investigation examined data from the wholesale market registration system and the farmer registration System, along with a report by the Tax Inspection Board under the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
Investigators compared producer receipts with statements from 1,029 farmers and found discrepancies between recorded and actual purchase prices.
The report cited cases of inflated purchase costs to manipulate prices. And one company is found to have allegedly issued producer receipts in the names of deceased individuals to create records of purchases that never took place.
The suspects face charges including price manipulation, violations of the Tax Procedure Law, document forgery, and money laundering, according to the authorities. ■
