Bulgarian, Italian Police Return Over 3600 Antiques to Bulgaria

Over 3600 antiques were returned to Bulgaria after an operation of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) and Italian police.

The joint police operation prevented the sale of the antiques at an auction in Verona, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio.

The joint operation was conducted after an investigation which lasted several months.

The probe showed that the Bulgarians had been enjoying for years the reputation of one of the biggest markets in Europe for antiques trade in Italy's Verona.

Bulgaria's DANS got in touch with Italy's specialized unit on combating trafficking of cultural goods.

Five people were arrested in Bulgaria as part of the joint police operation and their places of residence were searched, as well as the premises of dealers related to them.

The authorities found a large amount of illegally stored antiques and a large amount of documents.

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