According to a press release by FCS Russia, Baltic customs officers blocked illegal export of a more than 2.5-tonne fragment of the Altay meteorite to the United Kingdom.
The piece was found when a sea container was scanned in Saint Petersburg port. It had been brought into Russia from another EAEU state; on export it was declared as landscape décor, but checks revealed different origin and value data.
Experts confirmed it was a large iron meteorite fragment from Altay worth about 323 million roubles.
A criminal case was opened under Article 226.1(1) of the Criminal Code (smuggling of strategically important goods or cultural valuables), carrying up to three years’ imprisonment. The inquiry continues.
