ANKARA, June 25, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - More than 10,000 historic artefacts were 
seized at the Istanbul home of two people who have been placed under arrest, 
Turkish police said Thursday.

"An operation was carried out by our anti-smuggling directorate and two 
individuals were arrested. Our cultural heritage constitutes our country's 
collective memory and the universal heritage of humanity," said Istanbul 
police chief Selami Yildiz.

Among the items seized are 3,366 coins, inscriptions and various historical 
artefacts reflecting the social life, beliefs and economic activities of the 
Hittite, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, according to the 
private Turkish news agency DHA.

Turkish authorities aggressively crack down on illegal trading in the 
country's antiquities, and last year the country secured the return of 180 
plundered artworks.