Customs Officers at Bulgarian-Turkish Border Seize 2 kg of Antiquities

Customs officers at the Lesovo border crossing point seized Sunday a contraband shipment of 488 antique coins, jewellery, and edged weapons, according to the Bulgarian Customs Agency's press office.

The antiques were being transported on a jeep with a Bulgarian registration plate entering the country from Turkey.

The driver was a 43-year-old man from the district of Yambol and was accompanied by a woman.

The man took advantage of the increased tourist flow on Sunday afternoon to try to smuggle the antique objects.

Despite that, the vehicle underwent a detailed customs inspection with specialized X-ray equipment.

The customs officers found two nylon bags of patinated coins in the front right seat of the car.

The driver had two other bags of antique objects hidden  in his clothes.

Customs authorities at Lesovo seized a total of 460 coins, 16 antique edged weapons, 12 pieces of antique jewelry, weighing a total of 1,745 kg.

The items had been earmarked for black market trading in Western Europe.

A customs inspector at the customs office in Burgas is leading the investigation of the case.

The antique objects are to undergo expert analysis to establish their value and origin.

According to preliminary estimates, the shipment contains Roman and Byzantine coins and authentic artifacts collected by treasure hunters.

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