'Arms smuggling' raid on luxury residence in Istanbul: 196 pistols and 3,061 rounds of ammunition seized

 According to a statement from the Istanbul Police Department, a large-scale operation was carried out by the Organized Crime Division against arms smugglers.

According to ANKA's report, as a result of efforts against individuals engaged in illegal arms trafficking, it was determined that the suspects were manufacturing weapons at addresses they used as homes and workplaces, and were using these locations as storage facilities, referred to as "caches."

Following technical and physical surveillance, an operation was conducted in Pendik between September 27 and October 4. Nine suspects were detained in the raid on the luxury residence. The searches resulted in the seizure of 196 9mm caliber pistols and 196 magazines belonging to these weapons, 3,061 rounds of ammunition, 1,568 pistol frames, 446 recoil springs and rods, 325 internal slides, 250 pistol slides, 179 pistol barrels, various weapon parts, a grinding machine, and a drill used in weapon manufacturing.

9,911 SUSPECTS FACED LEGAL ACTION

The suspects were taken to the police station for questioning.

Meanwhile, it was announced that since the beginning of the year, legal action has been taken against 9,911 suspects across the province for crimes involving the "possession, carrying, illegal manufacture, shipment, and trade" of unlicensed weapons.

It was reported that in these operations, 11,099 pistols, 443 long-barreled and automatic weapons, and 52,569 rounds of ammunition were seized, along with 17,780 weapon parts consisting of frames, slides, barrels, trigger mechanisms, extractors, firing pins, pins, recoil springs, and rods.

The weapons, ammunition, and weapon parts seized in the operations were displayed at the Istanbul Police Department's Vatan Campus in Fatih.