Police in Bulgaria’s northeastern Shumen Region have arrested four people suspected of illicit possession of and trading in archaeological artefacts.

As BGNES news outlet reported on Tuesday, police have found 19 marble and stone slabs and sculptures as well as ancient coins and moulds for production of fake coins at the homes of the suspects.

A Turkish national permanently residing in Bulgaria has been detained after ancient coins and a fragment of a stone statue were found at his home. Police suspect the artefacts were being prepared for sale in EU countries.

The marble and stone slabs and parts of statues were discovered at the home of a 56-year old Bulgarian national in Shumen.

Some 9,000 ancient coins, presumably dating back to the times of the Roman Empire, and moulds for casting fake coins were found at the home of a a 52-year old Bulgarian national in the nearby town of Novi Pazar, some 30 km from Shumen.

Antique metal artefacts and some 80 coins were found at the home of a third Bulgarian national in the village of Ivanovo.

The three Bulgarians had been arrested on 11 March and charged with possession of unregistered cultural heritage items. They face prison terms of one to six years and fines in the range of BGN 1,000 to 20,000 if convicted.