Police seize almost 2,000 Roman and Byzantine artifacts in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Istanbul police have seized a total of 1,981 pieces of historical artifacts dating back to the Roman and Byzantium eras, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Feb. 22.

The Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command team detained two suspects for allegedly attempting to sell the artifacts abroad for $1 million dollars. Both suspects have been sent to court.

The 1,981 historical artifacts were sent to the Istanbul Archeological Museum, where experts found that they were significant and could shed light on lesser-known details of the Roman and Byzantine eras.

Back in December 2016, Istanbul police seized 26,456 ancient artifacts and detained 13 suspects in a major anti-smuggling operation.

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 suspects were allegedly planning to take the artifacts abroad to sell them to museums for millions of dollars.

Over 50,000 historical artifacts seized over the past three years are currently being held in storage at the Istanbul Archeological Museum.