Seven People were Detained in Attempt to Sell Unique Gold Artifacts Found in Bulgaria

Seven people were detained in a joint operation by the specialised prosecutor’s office, the Directorate for Combatting Organised Crime and the State Agency for National Security (SANS). The detainees were trying to sell a gold treasure, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev said at a briefing on 11th of October, reports BNT. 

The treasure guarded by heavily armed masked police officers was shown during a press conference.

The operation took place at the moment of signing a deal on Monday, in the town of Simeonovgrad. Four people have been charged, the prosecution has yet to ask the court for remand.

The buyers are Bulgarians, but they have not yet been charged. One of the four detainees is a long-time employee of SANS, and the other three have previous criminal records, but not for treausre hunting.

The object of the sale was a golden crown weighing around 400 grammes, and the asking price for it was 2 million.

The police also found gold bracelets and coins.

Information about the criminal group was acquired by SANS and sent to the DCOC at the end of July. The detained employee of the SANS coordinated the meetings between the treasure hunters and possible buyers. There has been evidence about attempts for selling the treasure in Turkey.

Initial expert judgment indicates that the valuables are from the second half of the 4th century BC. The National Archaeological Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will make a thorough assessment of the objects found.

The found treasure is believed to have been possessed by ancient Thracian elite.

According to the investigators, this is not the whole treasure, and there are still objects from it that have not been found yet. So far, there is no information from where the find is.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!