Two-ton Meteorite Worth 323 Million Rubles Attempted to be Smuggled Out of Russia

© пресс-служба Балтийской таможни

Customs officials have thwarted an attempt to illegally export a large fragment of the Aletai meteorite to the UK. The weight of the space object exceeded 2.5 tons. The unusual cargo was detected during an inspection of a sea container at the port of St. Petersburg using an inspection and examination complex.

According to the investigation, the space object had previously been imported into Russia from one of the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) countries. When filing for export, the sender declared it as a sculpture for landscape design. However, a thorough inspection revealed inconsistencies between the declared information and the actual characteristics of the cargo.

An expert examination determined that the container contained a large fragment of the iron Aletai meteorite. Its approximate value is estimated at around 323 million rubles.

As a result, a criminal case has been initiated under Part 1 of Article 226.1 of the Russian Criminal Code – smuggling of strategically important goods or cultural values. The punishment for this offense can include imprisonment for up to three years.