CHANNEL FOR TRAFFICKING OF ANTIQUES DISRUPTED IN BULGARIA

Antiques trafficking network has been disrupted by the Bulgarian Police and Prosecutor’s Office in the North Bulgarian town of Shumen on 24th of March. Statues, Roman slabstones, large number of ancient coins and dies for producing counterfeit coins have been seized to prevent them from being smuggled to countries in Western Europe.

Most of the objects are marble, most likely from the times of the Roman Empire, I-II century. Charges have been pressed against one of the detained for illegal acquiring of objects with cultural and historic value. Two more people – a forger and a buyer of antiques - are being investigated.

The investigation into the criminal activity started two months ago when a signal for illicit trading with cultural objects was reported. The criminal police officers found a large number of marble fragments from statues, columns and buildings, wrapped in sacks, in a garage in the town of Shumen. Among them, there was a unique column with inscribed dedication in old Greek language, which can be compared only with Sumerian stones.

The searches of the detained persons’ homes discovered over 9,000 copper coins and dies for production of modern counterfeits, which are usually offered at auctions abroad.

Experts will make an assessment into the authenticity of each of the antique objects.