Bulgaria seizes more than 2,000 high-value artifacts

Bulgaria has seized more than 2,000 high-value artifacts from an international smuggler ring, officials with the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security (SANS) said in a press release on Friday.

Those artifacts were found by SANS officers after they searched 36 addresses in 11 towns in Bulgaria since the end of November last year.

Among the artifacts are rare Thracian weapons, decorations for horse trappings, antique pots made of bronze and gilt silver, various types of jewelry, and sets of antique surgical instruments, according to the SANS.

A lot of the antiques have extremely high cultural and historical value, and some of them are unique, according to the SANS.

Officers also found and confiscated many metal detectors, specific geo-radar systems for precise exploration of the ground layers, and workshops for the production of such specialized equipment used by the criminal group.

The SANS has not disclosed the number and identity of participants and leaders of the gang at the moment.

Bulgaria has one of the richest archaeological heritages in Europe, and an estimated thousands of treasure hunters have been illegally digging for artifacts. Endit