08.05.2026 17:05
Drivers Gani Ünalır and Hasan T., who were caught with a large amount of smuggled cigarettes in a truck loaded with household goods stopped in the Gölbaşı district of Ankara, were released under judicial control, while Şevki Ç., who claimed ownership of the goods, was arrested. Ünalır, stating that a tax loss penalty of 22 million 466 thousand 610 lira was imposed on him, claimed he had no knowledge of the smuggled cigarettes in the vehicle and took the wheel at a friend's request for help, saying, 'I thought I was carrying household goods.'
Truck driver Gani Ünalır, a father of three living in the Sümer Neighborhood of the central Seyhan district, was called on March 6, 2024, by his driver friend Hasan T., who said he was transporting household goods to Ankara and asked for help. Ünalır met Hasan T. on Kıyıboyu Street and took the wheel of the truck, which was said to contain furniture and white goods. Ünalır got on the highway to go to Ankara, and after passing Niğde, he handed the steering wheel back to Hasan T. Police teams conducting a checkpoint in the Gölbaşı district of Ankara stopped the truck. A search of the truck's trailer revealed a large quantity of smuggled prepackaged cigarettes. Ünalır and Hasan T. in the truck were taken into custody.
"I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MATERIALS"
Ünalır, taken to the Ankara Police Department, said in his statement, "Hasan said he needed a driver and asked me to drive the truck for a fee. I accepted, and he picked me up with the loaded vehicle from a point near my home. I learned at the police checkpoint that the boxes contained smuggled cigarettes. Until then, I believed the transported items were household goods. I have no connection to the materials found."
OWNER OF THE SMUGGLED CIGARETTES CONFESSED
Şevki Ç., who was also taken into custody as part of the investigation, stated that the smuggled cigarettes in the truck belonged to him and defended himself by saying, "I bought these products from a person named Abdullah in Adana. I was going to make the payment after delivering the products to Ankara. Hasan T. and Gani Ünalır knew there were household goods in the vehicle."
ABANDONED BY HIS WIFE
After their processing at the police station, the suspects were referred to the courthouse. Şevki Ç. was arrested by the court he was brought before, while Ünalır and Hasan T. were released under judicial control. Returning to his home in Adana, Ünalır learned that the Revenue Administration had imposed a tax penalty of 22 million 446 thousand 610 lira on him. Gani Ünalır, who was abandoned in 2010 by his wife Fadime Ç. (44), the mother of his three children, along with his daughter A.Ü. (21), and continues to live with his sons Ali Ahmet (24) and Arda Mehmet Ünalır (19), said he is innocent and asking for help.
"I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO PAY THE PENALTY"
Describing how he drove the truck after Hasan T.'s call, Gani Ünalır said, "After he picked me up with the truck, I got behind the wheel and drove it to a certain point. When my shift ended, I gave the vehicle back to Hasan. When we entered Gölbaşı, we stopped at a police checkpoint. During the search, what came out of the truck was not household goods but prepackaged cigarettes. I asked Hasan if he knew about this. He said he didn't. Later, because I was present at the scene, a 22 million lira tax loss penalty was issued. I had no knowledge of the goods in the vehicle. I went as a driver, and I don't know the person named in the file. I don't have the means to pay this penalty," he said.
"WHOEVER IS DOING THE TRADING, THE PENALTY SHOULD BE ON THEM"
Stating that the court costs reached 200 thousand lira, Ünalır said, "I incurred this much expense to earn a few pennies. Now this tax debt has come up. I thought I was transporting household goods. I lost my job, and I haven't been able to sleep for a week. What is 22 million lira penalty? Even if I sell my blood or my kidneys, I cannot pay this penalty. Whoever is trading this goods, the penalty should be on them," he said.