Blow to precious stone smuggling in Istanbul

Thirty of the 43 suspects detained following a large-scale operation conducted by teams from the Anti-Smuggling Branch as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office were arrested. The suspects were referred to the courthouse and their procedures at the prosecutor's office were completed. The prosecutor's office requested the arrest of 34 suspects and judicial control for nine. The Criminal Court of Peace issued arrest warrants for 30 suspects.

The judgeship imposed measures of "not leaving the house" and "ban on leaving the country" on 4 suspects, while it ruled for judicial control in the form of "signing" and "ban on leaving the country" on 9 suspects.

A large quantity of precious stones and jewelry, identified as having been smuggled into the country, was seized as part of the operation. Ten suspects were apprehended in the first phase, and 115 kilograms, 602 grams, and 419 milligrams of precious stones such as diamonds, quartz, emeralds, and rubies, along with 945 items of jewelry such as bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, were found.

In subsequent raids, 41 addresses and 23 workplaces were searched. Thirty-three suspects were taken into custody, and 1 kilogram (373 grams) (58 milligrams) of precious stones, 135 items of jewelry, 1,132 precious metals, 267 historical artifacts, and 64 digital materials were seized.

Authorities stated that operations against jewellery and precious stone smuggling will continue with determination.