Istanbul police seize thousands of gun parts hidden underground

ISTANBUL

Police in Istanbul seized 3,092 gun parts hidden in an underground water depot on an empty plot of land in the city’s Pendik district, detaining four suspects as part of an investigation into illegal arms trade.

Teams from the Istanbul Police Department’s Organized Crime Branch carried out the operation under the coordination of the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The hidden depot was detected during drone-supported searches in a rural area of Pendik.

During the search, police found 3,092 parts intended for use in pistol production, including 1,869 slides, as well as many other gun components.

Four suspects were taken into custody and transferred to the Organized Crime Branch for questioning. The investigation is continuing.

Authorities said the seized parts constituted the highest number of gun components confiscated in a single operation in Türkiye to date.