An ancient helmet originating from the Bulgarian lands, probably belonging to Philip of Macedonia, was returned to the Bulgarian state. 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 believed 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. On February 10, at the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York, an official ceremony was held for the return of the ancient object by the American authorities to the Bulgarian state. The ceremony was opened by the Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York Maya Hristova, who presented letters of thanks on behalf of the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria Boyko Rashkov to the heads of US services, conducted a successful investigation leading to the return of the ancient Bulgarian helmet. country. In his welcome address, the Consul General stressed that this important event confirms the excellent cooperation between law enforcement and judicial institutions of Bulgaria and the United States. In turn, the American side also thanked the Bulgarian authorities for the excellent and effective cooperation.
Photo: Press Center of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria
