At least 150 firearms were seized on Thursday, September 10, during a major police operation in the area between Paris and Marseille. The weapons were discovered in six sports bags inside a van that was intercepted on an autoroute, a French highway, in the Ain department. Twelve men, most of whom were of Turkish origin, were arrested between September 10 and 11, 2026, across several departments in France. The operation involved multiple units of the BRI, the French equivalent of a specialized police task force. The arrests were part of a preliminary investigation launched in June 2025 by the PNACO (National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office), following information provided by German authorities about international arms trafficking. This investigation was conducted by the Central Office for the Fight Against Organized Crime and several regional police units. According to BFMTV, investigators had discovered the presence of the Turkish criminal organization "Daltonlar" in France. In Turkey, this group is known for drug trafficking, cigarette smuggling, extortion, and assassinations. Over the years, the group has expanded its operations to several Western European countries, including France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. Some of its members are believed to reside in the Paris region or in Marseille. The twelve men arrested are suspected of being part of this Turkish criminal organization. They were held in custody for 96 hours, during which they denied any connection to a "Turkish criminal group," according to a police source. Their custody has now ended, and they are appearing before an investigating judge at the Paris Judicial Court. Among the suspects is Hasan S., known as "Haso," a French man of Turkish origin. He has a history with the justice system, including charges related to weapons and domestic violence. In the summer of 2025, he was under investigation by a Marseille judge for weapons possession. Investigators also installed a listening device in his vehicle, and in the recorded conversations, "Haso" was described as "the central and indispensable character of the counterfeit arms trafficking in Marseille." In July, "Haso" was suspected of planning a violent act against a Turkish man who was imprisoned in the Baumettes prison. The man was labeled a "traitor" for allegedly selling weapons in Marseille. The planned attack never occurred, as the target was placed in isolation. Investigations into this matter continue. Last Friday, Hasan S. was arrested in the early morning by the BRI at the Arles toll in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. During his custody, he exercised his legal right to remain silent.