Europol: Giant antiquities trafficking network dismantled in the Balkans – Investigations underway in Greece

 

The Bulgarian authorities, with the assistance of Europol, have dismantled one of the largest cultural goods trafficking rings in Europe. This operation, launched on November 19, involved police and judicial authorities from Albania, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom, coordinated from Sofia and Eurojust.

The case dates back to 2020 when a raid in Bulgaria led to the seizure of approximately 7,000 priceless antiquities, primarily Greek-Roman and Thracian artifacts. These items have since been stored at the National History Museum in Bulgaria.

The results of the operation include:

• 35 arrests in Bulgaria
• 131 searches across homes, vehicles, and safes (1 in Albania, 120 in Bulgaria, 3 in France, 3 in Germany, 4 in Greece)
• The seizure of over 3,000 antiquities, including gold and silver coins, rare artifacts, worth over €100 million
• Seizure of artworks, weapons, documents, electronic equipment, €50,000 in cash, and investment gold

Europol reports that the key figure in the operation is an individual believed to have financed illegal excavations in Bulgaria and the Balkans. The trafficking network involved local tomb robbers and intermediaries. The seized collection includes unique items dating back to 2000 BC, such as masks, military equipment, jewelry, pottery, and rhyta from Thracian and Greco-Roman cultures.

Many of the antiquities lacked proper provenance or had questionable documentation from auction houses in France, Germany, the UK, and the US.