Turkish security forces seized a haul of ancient coins in an anti-smuggling operation in eastern Turkey's Batman province, the governor's office said in a statement Wednesday.

Anti-smuggling units of the provincial security directorate raided a property after receiving a tip-off over a possible smuggling case, the statement said.

Police seized 236 ancient coins belonging to different eras during the search of the property.

Two suspects in connection to the smuggling incident were detained, the statement added.

Thousands of anti-smuggling operations are carried out across Turkey every year to halt the illegal sale of historical objects and protect the country's rich cultural heritage. The issue is crucial to a country that is home to about 3,000 ancient cities from 42 civilizations and whose tourism industry relies on its rich historical heritage to attract millions of foreign visitors each year.