A 2.5-ton meteorite fragment, brought to Russia from Belarus, was attempted to be smuggled to Great Britain via St. Petersburg
Russian customs officers at the port of St. Petersburg prevented an attempt to illegally export a large fragment of a celestial body from Russia. During a scan of a sea container on February 5, they found a fragment of the Alatay meteorite weighing over 2.5 tons, which was planned to be sent to Great Britain. According to experts, its value could be around 323 million Russian rubles (about 4.19 million US dollars), Kommersant writes .
Photo: Federal Customs Service of Russia
The cosmic object was attempted to be smuggled across the border, declared as a "sculpture for landscape design". However, during a detailed inspection, it was found that the true origin and value of the cargo did not match the information indicated in the documents. In this regard, a criminal case was initiated under the article on smuggling strategically important goods or cultural values, which provides for up to five years of imprisonment.
According to media reports, entrepreneur Aliaksei Varanetski might have been involved in the export of the meteorite. The fragment itself was delivered to St. Petersburg from Belarus by road transport. How it ended up in our country is not reported.
The Alatay meteorite is a fragment of the core of an ancient protoplanet, approximately 4.5 billion years old. It was first discovered in 1898 on the territory of modern China. Over a long period, more than 50 tons of its fragments have been collected, and in 2021, scientists found another approximately 23 tons.
Experts note that the main value of meteorites is not industrial, but scientific and museological. They help to study the composition and origin of the Solar System and the internal structure of planets. Although meteorites are not considered strategically important materials, individual specimens with a rich history can have significant cultural value and interest for collectors.
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Навiна так напiсана быццам бы гэты метэарыт беларускi. У сапрауднасцi гэты метэарыт снойдзены у Кiтаi у 19-м стагоддзi. Хтосцi у Кiтаi кавалак яго скрау i вёз на продаж у ЕЗ, скарыстаушыся дапамогай расiйскай i беларускай дарожнай мафii. Нiякай сенсацыi тут няма.