Turkish police seized 479 ancient coins in an anti-smuggling operation in Turkey's largest city of Istanbul and detained one suspect, local media reported on Sunday.
Gendarmerie forces launched an operation against the suspected smuggler and raided his residence in the Gaziosmanpasa district on the European side, the state-run Anadolu agency said.
According to the report, The suspect was preparing to put the coins on sale.
Anadolu reported that bronze, lead, and copper coins belonging to the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods were handed over to the Istanbul Archeology Museum.