The Bulgarian police have started a massive operation against crimes with cultural valuables, the Secretary General Kalin Georgiev said Tuesday.

At the opening of a forum for training of magistrates and police officers against traffic of cultural valuables, Georgiev announced that the operation is carried out by the Unit for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP), territorial divisions and seven regional directorates.

"This kind of crimes lead to a loss of historical records. The loss of national history leads to a loss of national identity. The interior ministry is making all efforts to stop this kind of crimes," he said.

He pointed out that the Bulgarian southern city of Yambol had "the most impressive results." The police have found more than 3000 coins there.

A collection of 80 antique rifles, metal detectors and other artifacts have been found in the Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo. The operation continues and more details are expected later.

According to the Secretary General, the number of crimes with cultural valuables has increased in the last year and a half. In his words, the organizers are usually foreign citizens who help the traffic.

So far the police have started 21 pretrial proceedings. They have also crushed 6 organized crime gangs with 13 leaders and seven traffic channels.

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