A 2,500-year-old Hebrew Torah embroidered with gold on gazelle skin has been seized by the Turkish police after they tracked down five suspects attempting to sell it on the black market.

After becoming aware of the suspected crime, police teams tracked the suspects to the southern Turkish city of Antalya. The police discovered that the gang was taking the Torah to the northern Turkish city of Samsun where they were planned to sell it.

Police teams stopped the suspects’ vehicle upon entering the city in the district of Canik, according to local news outlet Milliyet. Investigating officers, who were already equipped with a search warrant from the Chief Public Prosecutor, found the ancient artefact in the trunk of the vehicle and seized it.

The 19-page Hebrew Torah written on gazelle skin, which seems to have been embroidered with gold, is estimated to be 2,500 years old, and was evaluated to be worth TRY 1.5 million (GBP 133,306).

The five suspects, identified as 44-year-old S. I., 35-year-old T. T., 51-year-old E. A., 51-year-old M. S., and 53-year-old A. T., were detained and all of them have given their statements regarding the incident. It is not yet known whether the Torah will be exhibited in a museum.

The investigation continues.