Thousands of ancient artefacts, some dating to the Bronze Age, have been recovered after the authorities in three countries broke up a crime ring planning to smuggle them into the UK.
Spears, coins, lamps, funeral urns, ceramics and arrowheads are among the 4,600 items recovered by Bulgarian, British and German police after a two-year investigation. Their total value is believed to be several million pounds.
Some of the pieces came from Roman-era military camps in Bulgaria and were illegally excavated then smuggled out of the country. Others date to the Iron Age and Middle Ages.
The Bulgarian authorities began investigating in March 2018 after a tip-off from British police. London is home to many antiquities dealers and is a hub for the trade in illicit