Nine suspects trying to sell Byzantine-era artifacts were detained in an operation organized by gendarmerie forces in Turkey's central province of Eskişehir, a Demirören News Agency (DHA) report said Thursday.
After receiving information that the suspects were looking to sell the historical artifacts, Eskişehir Gendarmerie Command teams in the Çukurhisar district went undercover as "buyers" and contacted the suspects. En route to meet the undercover agents, the suspects' vehicles were pulled over and searched by officers in Eskişehir's Çukurhisar district.
The search uncovered a statue of Zeus, a marble statue and a bronze tablet featuring animal figures on the front and back, all believed to date back to the Byzantine period.
Within the scope of the investigation, five other suspects allegedly involved in the plan to sell the artifacts were also detained.
Seven of the nine suspects provided statements for the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch of the Gendarmerie Command and were later released. The remaining two were referred to a courthouse and released on bail.
