An ancient helmet originating from the Bulgarian lands was returned to the Bulgarian state

The Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York Maya Hristova presented letters of thanks on behalf of Minister Boyko Rashkov to the heads of the US services, who conducted the successful investigation in cooperation with the CDCOC and DMOS – Ministry of Interior

The return of the valuable artifact to Bulgaria became possible thanks to a successfully conducted large-scale international operation to neutralize a criminal scheme for trafficking in cultural and historical values. The operation, led by the New York County Attorney’s Office, involved law enforcement agencies from a total of 11 countries: Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria and Turkey. 

The helmet was confiscated from the collection of one of the world’s largest collectors of ancient art, after US investigators were able to prove that the artifact was brought into the country through illegal trafficking in antiques. 

Its value is estimated at approximately $ 200,000. The helmet, dating from the 4th-3rd century BC, is made of iron, silver, bronze and organic materials. It is considered, that its origin is from the territory of Bulgaria – near the current village of Pletena, Satovcha municipality, Blagoevgrad district. US experts believe it belonged to Philip of Macedon.