Four people were arrested and seven were released on bail earlier this week after an undercover sting operation was successfully carried out in Turkey, following information about the smuggling of ancient artifacts.
Dozens of ancient objects dated from the second century AD to the early 16th century were discovered in a trove in Istanbul, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Undercover police officers pretended to be potential customers to lure the smugglers into revealing the illegally acquired and possessed pieces, that are being described by archaeologists as “priceless treasures”.
The artifacts were seized by the anti-smuggling unit working undercover between the districts of Besiktas, Fatih and Bayrampasa during the past month.
The list of findings includes jewellery and coins from the Greek, Roman, Persian and Islamic civilisations.
Amongst the salvaged antiquities experts recognised bronze coins depicting the Roman Emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD), coins depicting a Greek victory over Persians, Sassanid coins, silver coins from the Arthukid dynasty, as well as golden accessories from a Persian king’s tomb.
Moreover, two ancient Qurans were seized “at a quality not even the best museums in the world have” with one gilded copy of the Quran believed to have been written at the time of Ottoman Sultan Selim II’s victory over the Egyptian Mamluks in 1516.
The findings have been sent to relevant museums across Turkey for further estimation and safe keeping.