A huge criminal network trafficking cultural artefacts and laundering money has been dismantled by the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office, the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP), Europol, and the Italian Carabinieri, BGNES reported. The operation spanned eight European countries, including Bulgaria.
"The operation is not yet complete, with over 220 GDBOP officers currently searching homes, offices and safes," said Boyan Raev, director of the General Directorate. He added that 131 searches had been carried out over 30 hours, resulting in the arrest of 35 individuals. Thousands of cultural and historical treasures have been recovered so far, and more continue to be uncovered, along with over 50 firearms and explosives.
Sofia Deputy City Prosecutor Angel Kanev said that the total value of the artefacts on the black market is estimated at over €100 million, while registered transactions linked to the criminal activity exceed $1 billion.
Editor: Diana Tsankova
Posted in English by E. Radkova
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