Illegally circulated antiquities seized in Bulgaria

'Illegally circulated antiquities seized in Bulgaria', 5 February 2015 Sofia Globe has reported that during major international operations carried out to prevent the trafficking of European antiquities, Bulgaria has seized more than 2000 ancient and medieval artefacts

Europol announced on 28 January that 35 individuals had been arrested, and that law enforcement authorities in 14 European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and the United Kingdom) carried out the operations. Search operations were carried out in 11 Bulgarian cities, where investigators seized 2,289 cultural artefacts, all of which were meant to be protected by the Cultural Heritage Act. Among the seized objects were: Thracian weapons, Thracian horse-riding decorations, antique pottery, bronze and precious metal, ceramics and glass, jewellery, bronze and pottery figurines of people and animals, ancient and medieval seals, antique surgical instruments, pieces of marble, Roman votive sticks, antique metal containers, and Christian crosses and icons.