Europol: Antiquities worth more than 100 million euro seized in Bulgaria
Bulgarian law enforcement dismantled a criminal network involved in large-scale trafficking of cultural goods, in a co-ordinated action with law enforcement and judicial authorities from six other countries, European police co-operation agency Europol said on November 20.
This operation was conducted under the framework of a Europol operational taskforce and was the result of an investigation launched after a house raid conducted in 2020 in Bulgaria, where authorities seized about 7000 cultural artifacts, Europol said.
The lack of clear provenance documentation for many of these items, established by the Bulgarian authorities at the time, raised suspicions of illegal acquisition.
As a result of the November 19 action, 35 arrest were carried out in Bulgaria alone and 131 searches including houses, vehicles and bank safes were conducted (including 120 in Bulgaria).
The items seized include more than 3000 artefacts (antique golden and silver coins and other antiquities) with an estimated value of more than 100 million euro, artworks, weapons, documents, electronic equipment, more than 50 000 euro in cash, and investment gold, Europol said.
The action day also involved law enforcement and judicial authorities from Albania, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Europol said that its taskforce, established in June 2024 at the initiative of Bulgarian authorities, identified links between individuals, based in different countries as well as the location of other artefacts believed to have been trafficked by members of the network.
“The primary High-Value Target (HVT) in this case is suspected of financing illegal excavations across Bulgaria and neighbouring Balkan countries. Local looters, allegedly working for middlemen acting on behalf of the HVT, are believed to have been involved in the illicit operations,” Europol said.
(Photo: Europol)
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