This is an interesting article

Bulgarian Burglars Snatch 320 kg of Gold in Schocking Theft

Brazen robbers have managed to steal more than 320 kg of gold which the Bulgarian police captured in August 2010 in one of its much advertised special operations.

The scandalous robbery was committed overnight as 320 kg of gold, 20 kg of silver, and 1 kg of platinum were stolen from a storage facility of the Bulgarian Customs Agency located at Terminal 1 of the Sofia International Airport.

"
Unfortunately, for some reason, the automatic security system of the facility had been turned off Our colleagues are on the crime scene and have started to search for the robbers,"
Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov stated, as cited by the Bulgarian National Television.

The storage facility of the Customs Agency at Terminal 1 of the Sofia International Airport usually contains confiscated stolen or contraband goods such as liquor, cigarettes, or IT equipment.

The burglars broke into one of the storage halls, searched it, and then made a hole into a wall thus breaking into a second hall where they found the precious metals they were looking for.

According to BNT sources, the security system of the warehouse was turned off at 7 pm Sunday night, and the saves containing the gold, silver, and platinum had been left opened.

The burglars also managed to sprinkle hairs and alcohol on the crime scene in order to cover their traces

The gold, silver, and platinum that have been stolen were confiscated in August 2010 by the police during a crackdown on an organised crime group dealing with illegal trade of precious metals. The much advertised police operation was codenamed "
The Founders."


The Founders were busted as they were about to export a total of 369 kg of gold and platinum declared as silver through the Sofia International Airport.

Subsequently, the police found that much of the precious metals had been stolen

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said the theft of the gold and silver will not affect the trial against the Founders as all evidence had already been gathered. It is still unclear whether those who committed the burglary have any connection with the actual five detained “Founders”.

As of late Monday night, the Customs Agency has failed to make any statements on the brazen burglary into its facility, which appears to have been facilitated from the inside if the initial reports prove correct.

The Bulgarian police are so clever

Bring it on

This is brilliant and so typical its like something from Laurel and Hardy

Some body is having a real laugh here

sarah

:: :: I need some new gold Teeth can i have some please [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[size=55:1280p4wz]Sofia echo 25 October 2010

customs officers involved in 16M leva gold theft

Officers from the Bulgarian customs police were involved in the theft of 320kg of gold from a customs vault at the Sofia airport, customs director Vanyo Tanov told private Bulgarian television channel bTV on October 25 2010.

The gold was stolen on the morning of October 18, at about 10am, but it was not reported missing until 8pm the same day.

The gold, silver and other precious metals stolen were the same that Bulgarian police had managed to recoup in August 2010 in one of its more publicised operations.

Reportedly, the gold and other precious metal snatched from the customs vault amounted to about 16 million leva. According to Tanov, this was an inside job as customs officers had leaked the information as to when and how the theft can be executed – it was also possible that some officers might have been "
actively involved"
.

This is the second robbery from a customs vault in six months, following a similar operation in Plovdiv. The customs chief, however, refused to contemplate resigning.

"
There is no way I can be held accountable for the actions of each and every one of the 3300 customs officers,"
he said.

About 320 kg of gold, 20 kg of silver, and one kg of platinum were stolen from the airport storage facility at Terminal 1. This area usually contains confiscated stolen or contraband goods such as liquor, cigarettes, or IT equipment.

This is the latest part of the saga which started in August, when the Interior Ministry launched operation Smelters, targeting the illegal trade of gold, platinum and precious metals.

Oh my word this is just 'pure gold'

Oddy

Six arrested in relation to gold theft from Sofia airport

Six people have been arrested in a police operation in Sofia and the town of Samokov in relation to the theft of 320kg of gold and other precious metals from a vault in the Sofia Airport in October, the Interior Ministry announced in a media statement on November 10 2010.

The operation has targeted people suspected of being involved in the theft of platinum, gold and silver last month. Reportedly, the metal snatched from the customs vault amounted to about 16 million leva. According to the head of the Customs Agency, Vanyo Tanov, it was an inside job as customs officials had leaked the information as to when and how the theft could be executed – it was also possible that some officers might have been "
actively involved"
.

The operation was carried out by the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (CDCOC).

Among the six arrested, all of them male, a 45-year-old has been identified as the "
mastermind"
, a former customs officer himself;
another man aged 45, who had previous chargers of thefts, hooliganism, fraud and extortion;
a 41-year-old man who has a criminal record of car theft and extortion;
as well as a 43-year-old, a 33-year-old, and a 39-year-old man who has a criminal record of car theft.

During the operation, the police have seized money, golden jewellery, laptops, a radio transmitter and other communication equipment, the report said.

The gold was stolen on the morning of October 18, at about 10am, but it was not reported missing until 8pm the same day. The gold, silver and other precious metal stolen were the same that Bulgarian police had managed to seize in August 2010 in one of its more publicised operations, Smelters.

This was the second robbery from a customs vault in six months, following a similar operation in Plovdiv. The customs chief, however, refused to contemplate resigning. "
There is no way I can be held accountable for the actions of each and every one of the 3300 customs officers,"
Tanov said.

About 320 kg of gold, 20 kg of silver, and one kg of platinum were stolen from the airport storage facility at Terminal 1 of Sofia Airport. This area usually contains confiscated stolen or contraband goods such as liquor, cigarettes, or IT equipment.

This should be an interesting case and as others have speculated above it was after all someone with inside knowledge and I bet they don't really have the mastermind just the scapegoat

Blink wrote:

This should be an interesting case and as others have speculated above it was after all someone with inside knowledge and I bet they don't really have the mastermind just the scapegoat

Completely right lets all watch this space