07.03.2026 10:36
Customs enforcement teams intercepted 7,550 coins and figures that were attempted to be smuggled from İzmir Çeşme Port to Italy, preventing a significant smuggling attempt. The operation was carried out to protect our country's cultural heritage.
Customs Enforcement teams seized 7,550 coins and figures that were attempted to be smuggled from İzmir Çeşme Port to Italy. With a successful operation carried out by the Customs Enforcement teams of the Ministry of Trade, a significant smuggling attempt targeting our country's cultural heritage was thwarted. As part of the risk analysis studies conducted by the İzmir Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate, a vehicle arriving at Çeşme Ulusoy Port destined for Trieste Port in Italy was assessed as risky.
AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN INITIATED
During the checks conducted on the vehicle sent for X-ray scanning, suspicious density was detected, and in the subsequent detailed search, a total of 7,550 historical artifacts in different sizes and dimensions were seized in 15 packages hidden within the legal cargo. The seized artifacts are evaluated to be cultural assets from ancient times, and this smuggling attempt has prevented the export of our country's historical and cultural heritage abroad.
An investigation has been initiated regarding the incident at the Çeşme Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.