Illegal diamond operation in Istanbul: Billion-lira heist halted

Under the instruction of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, teams from the Anti-Smuggling Crimes Branch launched a comprehensive operation targeting the trade of diamonds and precious stones brought into the country through illegal means.

In the first phase, 10 suspects who obtained precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds, and rubies through illegal channels and knowingly purchased them were detained. During the operation, 155 kilograms and 602 grams (1,359 carats) of precious stones and 945 pieces of jewelry were seized. The market value of these items was determined to be approximately 445 million 750 thousand liras.

SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION AT THE GRAND BAZAAR

As the investigation deepened, simultaneous raids were carried out on 23 businesses in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul's historic trade center. A total of 40 suspects were detained in the operations.

During the searches, precious stones such as diamonds, quartz, emeralds, and rubies, 135 pieces of jewelry, 1,132 precious metal stones, 267 historical artifacts, firearms, and numerous digital materials were seized. The total market value of all seized items was calculated to be approximately 1.25 billion liras.

INSPECTORS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE OPERATION

Tax inspectors assigned by the Tax Inspection Board of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance also participated in the operations to conduct detailed examinations.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that technical and physical surveillance of the suspects is ongoing as part of the investigation conducted under the charges of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes" and the "Anti-Smuggling Law."

News Source: 12punto