Turkish police have arrested 23 people in Istanbul as part of an operation targeting an organized crime group suspected of kidnapping people and extorting money through threats.

The operation was coordinated by the Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and carried out by officers from the Istanbul Police Department’s Organized Crime and Intelligence units, according to TRT Haber.

During the investigation, police officers established the suspected involvement of the group’s members in four cases involving kidnappings and threats of violence.

Police conducted simultaneous searches at 36 addresses across the city.

The operation resulted in the seizure of seven pistols, a pump-action shotgun, a large quantity of ammunition, four bulletproof vests, 20 grams of suspected narcotic substances and precision electronic scales.

Procedural proceedings against 23 detainees are ongoing.