Georgian authorities uncover $5.5 million illegal oil operation at Batumi Terminal

Finance Ministry investigators have detained three terminal managers for illicitly selling over 10,000 tons of undeclared crude oil valued at $5.5 million from Batumi storage facilities.

The suspects attempted concealment by replacing extracted oil with industrial waste in storage tanks.

The criminal investigation remains ongoing, with arrested individuals facing potential 11-15 year imprisonment terms. All detained suspects are Kazakh nationals according to official reports.