Turkey: 3 arrested over historical artifact smuggling

IZMIR, Turkey

Security forces on Monday arrested three people in western Turkey over their alleged links to artifact smuggling.

Acting on a tip-off, gendarmerie teams in the Aegean Izmir province stopped a vehicle carrying the suspects, only identified by the initials M.T, Z.T. ve U.Y., and seized an Ionic column capital from the Roman period.

The artifact measuring 50x60 centimeters (19x23 inches) was delivered to the Izmir Museum Directorate.