Over 3,500 arrested in operations across Turkey

ANKARA

More than 3,500 people were arrested in operations conducted by police, gendarmerie and coast guards across Turkey, security sources said on Saturday.

The General Security Directorate said in a statement that of the 3,609 arrested in simultaneous operations late Friday, early Saturday titled "peace and safety", 2,282 were wanted by police .

Security forces confiscated 81 vehicles, 91 guns, 91 hunting rifles, 80,268 packs of smuggled cigarettes, 686 smuggled cellphones, 762 liters of unlicensed alcohol as well as 103 historical artifacts.

Around 81,000 officers participated in the operations, the statement added.

Reporting by Orhan Onur Gemici:Writing by Handan Kazancı