Turkish authorities have detained 33 people suspected of carrying out espionage for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, Reuters reports citing Anadolu news agency.

It said police had carried out simultaneous raids in 57 locations across eight provinces as part of an investigation that the counter-terrorism bureau of the Istanbul prosecutor’s office had launched.

Without citing sources, teh report said the suspects were believed to be aiming to identify, monitor, assault and kidnap foreign nationals living in Turkey as part of “international espionage” operations.