Bulgaria Hits Organized Crime in €100 Million Artifact Bust

Bulgarian authorities have seized artifacts valued at approximately 100 million euros from the black market, marking one of the most significant cultural heritage operations in recent years. Deputy City Prosecutor Angel Kanev announced that 35 individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, including treasure hunters, dealers, and traffickers holding influential positions.

Among those detained are both business owners and individuals who have not contributed to social security for over a decade, raising questions about the legality of their income and assets. Tax audits for all those arrested have already begun. The operation is ongoing in multiple cities, including Sofia, Stara Zagora, Vidin, Razgrad, Shumen, Dupnitsa, Dolni Dabnik, and Novi Pazar.

Authorities have recovered gold coins and investment-grade gold originating from Europe, China, and Egypt. Kanev noted the exceptional value of the items and confirmed that images will not be publicly released. Investigators believe the criminal network has been active for more than 16 years across the US and Balkan region, operating through numerous subcontractors abroad. Arrests have also been made in Greece, including archaeologists and professors found with artifacts from illegal excavations.

The case also involves counterintelligence elements, with several suspects allegedly laundering money with assistance from Chinese networks. Registered financial transactions linked to the network exceed USD 1 billion, and significant amounts of cash have been confiscated. Kanev emphasized that investigations of this magnitude typically last over a decade, with the primary goal being the protection and return of cultural heritage to its countries of origin.

The operation, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol and supervised by the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, involved the Directorate General for the Prevention of Corruption, the National Investigation Service, and the National Security Service. Similar large-scale international actions were conducted in Germany, Italy, Greece, France, the United Kingdom, and Albania, targeting organized crime groups involved in trafficking cultural property and laundering illicit funds.