Turkish anti-smuggling teams on Wednesday uncovered 879 animal and plant fossils worth $10 million and dating back 150-200 million years.
In two operations in the capital Ankara, the teams found the fossils in a house allegedly being used by a criminal organization founded and run by imprisoned televangelist Adnan Oktar.
Thefossils were to be sold for the group's financial survival, saida suspect who illegally brought the artifacts into Turkey.
Inthe first operation, security forces found 802 fossils, uncovering and 77 more in asecond.
Legalprocedures are underway for the suspects and owner of the house.
Officialssaid the fossils would be delivered to a museum in Ankara.
Adnan Oktar was remanded by a court in 2018, along with 168 others, forallegedly committing numerous crimes, includingestablishing a criminal organization, child sexual abuse, kidnapping, tax fraud and terrorism.
