Police in Istanbul have seized jewels and antiques worth an estimated $30 million from businesses in the city’s historic Grand Bazaar during an investigation into smuggled diamonds.

Axar.az informs, citing AP, the operation was launched after 10 suspects were initially detained for smuggling gems into Turkiye.

cting on orders from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, police raided 23 businesses in the 15th-century covered marketplace, arresting a further 40 people.

Police confiscated some 135 pieces of jewelry, 1,132 ingots of precious metals and 267 historical artifacts with a value of 1.25 billion Turkish liras ($30.5 million), according to reports. Firearms and digital material were also seized.