Bulgaria arrests 35 in major cultural goods trafficking crackdown
Bulgarian authorities have arrested 35 individuals linked to a criminal network involved in large-scale trafficking of cultural goods across Europe.
The crackdown involved 131 searches across Bulgaria, leading to the seizure of thousands of cultural valuables and over 50 antique firearms, according to Boyan Raev, head of the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP), News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Raev said the investigation is ongoing, with the total number of seized items still rising.
The raids were conducted internationally on Thursday, coordinated with Europol and Eurojust. Vehicles, safes, and other items linked to the criminal network were confiscated during the operation.
Sofia Deputy City Prosecutor Angel Kanev said the network had been operating for more than 16 years across Western Europe, the Balkans, the United States, and other regions.
Authorities have identified over $1 billion in potential money laundering related to the network.
The investigation began following a 2020 house raid in Bulgaria, where police seized around 7,000 cultural artefacts of immeasurable historical and monetary value, Europol stated.
This operation marks one of the largest coordinated efforts to combat the illegal trafficking of cultural goods in Europe. Authorities emphasized the importance of international cooperation to tackle organized crime networks that span multiple countries.
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