£76k of Bulgarian Treasure Smuggled in Trousers Haul at Dover
Border cops made a stunning find at the Port of Dover when they discovered ancient coins, pendants, brooches, statues, and spearheads worth a whopping £76,110 hidden inside a lorry packed with trousers. The haul was seized on 27 October 2020, revealing a Bulgarian crime gang’s plot to smuggle priceless artefacts into the UK.
Bulgarian Courier Busted and Jailed
The lorry driver, working as a courier for the organised gang, copped a two-year jail stretch in March 2021 after pleading guilty to transferring criminal property. kent-police/" title="Kent Police" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked" data-wpil-monitor-id="8441">Kent Police led the probe, backed by the Met Police’s specialist Art and Antiquities Unit and Bulgarian authorities. Together, they traced the illegal treasure back to Bulgaria.
Artefacts Returned in Formal Ceremony
Detective Inspector Shaun Creed of Kent Police attended a ceremony at the Bulgarian Embassy in London to hand back the artefacts. He said:
“The illegal excavation of antiques is an ongoing issue in Bulgaria, robbing citizens of their vital cultural heritage.
These criminals don’t care about the damage they cause, smuggling stolen goods into countries like the UK and funding other crime. It was an honour to be part of returning these items that should never have left Bulgaria.”
DI Creed added that the force will keep cracking down on smuggling and send a strong warning to others thinking of trafficking stolen cultural treasures into the UK.
UK and Bulgaria Join Forces Against Looting
Detective Superintendent John Roch, Head of Economic Crime at the Metropolitan Police, said:
“We’re proud to team up with Kent and Bulgarian police to stop the illicit trade in archaeological artefacts. Catching these items prevents criminals profiting while protecting innocent buyers.”
Ambassador Marin Raykov from the Bulgarian Embassy stressed the damage illegal looting does to Bulgaria’s identity and history:
“Our cultural heritage is vital to national identity and world history. Illegal looting steals from future generations and distorts history. This event shows the power of international cooperation to fight criminal networks.”
He praised the combined work of UK agencies and Bulgarian law enforcement, promising ongoing cooperation to protect priceless cultural treasures.
