4 suspects arrested for illegal excavation in Greek Orthodox Cemetery in Istanbul
Istanbul Police's Public Order Branch took action after receiving a tip about the illegal digging at the Aya Lefter Kurtulus Greek Orthodox Cemetery in Istanbul, Türkiye on on August 23, 2024 (AA Photo)
Four suspects were detained for conducting an illegal excavation within a Greek Orthodox cemetery in Istanbul, police confirmed on Friday.
The Istanbul Police Department’s Public Security Branch initiated an investigation on Aug. 23 following reports of illegal excavation in the Aya Lefter Greek Orthodox Cemetery located in Ferikoy.
Authorities discovered a roughly 6-meter-deep excavation site within the cemetery. During their search of the area, police recovered 48 pieces of pottery, six plastic bottles, and a glass jar.
Investigations revealed that the suspects had arrived at the scene from a nearby area in two separate vehicles. The police identified and apprehended the suspects, V.S., N.S., M.A., and A.A.
Further searches of the residences of suspects N.S. and V.S. led to the discovery of 48 pages of documents related to treasure hunting, six explosive materials used for breaking rocks, a scanning device for treasure detection, a map, and an air gun.
Authorities concluded that the suspects believed there was buried treasure near the cemetery and had carried out the excavation in pursuit of it. However, they reportedly found no materials of value during the dig.
