Nearly 26,500 ancient artifacts seized in biggest operation in Turkey’s history

ISTANBUL

Istanbul police on Dec. 21 seized 26,456 ancient artifacts and detained 13 suspects as part of an operation considered the biggest in Turkish history in Istanbul.

Among the items recovered were a golden queen's crown with an inscription of the Hellenistic god, Helios, a bust dedicated to Alexander the Great's conquest of India and a statue of a goddess dating back to the Hittite era 3,000 years ago.

The 26,456 objects recovered also included Egyptian-origin statues and Phoenician-type teardrop vials.

"The retrieved artifacts are... more valuable than the artifacts in the inventory of an average size museum," Istanbul police said in a statement.

For three months the investigation, dubbed "Operation Zeus", tracked the smuggling ring, which aimed to take the artifacts
abroad and sell them to museums and collectors for millions of dollars, it said.

Six people involved in the ring were detained on Dec. 12 in Turkey's northwestern province of Düzce as they attempted to sell off some of their haul. Seven more were detained in four different provinces.