Chinese national gets charged in connection with theft of gold
(MENAFN) A Chinese national has been formally charged in connection with the theft of gold worth approximately 1.64 million USD from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, according to reports citing the French prosecutor’s office.
The theft, discovered by museum staff on the morning of September 16, involved nearly six kilograms of gold nuggets that had been part of a long-standing exhibition.
Prosecutors stated that the stolen collection included historical pieces such as Bolivian nuggets donated to the Academy of Sciences in the 18th century, gold from Russia’s Ural Mountains gifted by Tsar Nicholas I in 1833, and nuggets from California dating back to the gold rush era. Among the items was a single Australian nugget weighing more than five kilograms, found in 1990.
Investigators discovered evidence of forced entry, with two doors cut open using an angle grinder, leaving holes slightly larger than an A4 sheet. Security footage showed a small woman dressed in black slipping through one of the openings shortly after 1 a.m.
The suspect reportedly used a blowtorch to smash the display case before leaving the museum around 4 a.m. She was seen wearing a hat with a veil resembling a beekeeper’s net, leading authorities to compare her movements to those of a circus performer. Tools found at the scene included a screwdriver, saws, and gas canisters.
Police traced the woman’s movements using phone records, determining that she fled France the same day and headed toward China. She was later apprehended at Barcelona Airport, where nearly one kilogram of melted gold was recovered from her belongings.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
