Niger investigates whether Mars meteorite sold for $ 5 million has been smuggled

Get to know the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth; Meteorite goes to the auction a 25 -pound meteorite coming from Mars was awarded for more than $ 5 million in a New York auction last month, establishing a world record. But in Niger, the country of West Africa where the red-red rock was discovered in the Sahara Desert, authorities began an investigation into what they call possible “unlawful international trafficking”, claiming that it may have been smuggled out of the country. Rocha is the largest piece of Mars ever seen on Earth and can cost $ 27 million AP/Richard Drew because Niger is investigating Sotheby’s, responsible for the auction, said the rock, called NWA 16788, was torn from the surface of Mars by a large asteroid and traveled 225 million kilometers until it reached the earth. She was discovered at Sahara, northwestern Niger, by a meteorites hunter in November 2023, according to the auction house. The identity of the discoverer, as well as that of the buyer, was not disclosed. Meteorites hunting has grown in the Sahara arid countries, such as Niger. Although they can fall anywhere in the world, the Sahara has become a privileged place for its discovery, partly by the climate that favors preservation. After the sale, the Niger government raised questions about how the meteorite ended up in an international auction. Authorities announced an investigation to investigate the circumstances of the discovery and sale, stating in a statement that the case “resembles unlawful international trafficking.” Last week, President Abdourahamane Tiani suspended the export of “precious stones, semi -compliance and meteorites across the country,” as a way to ensure their traceability. Sotheby’s said in a statement that the meteorite was exported from Niger and transported following all relevant international procedures. “As with everything we sell, all the necessary documentation was in order at each stage of the journey, according to the best practices and demands of the countries involved,” says the statement. Which says international law Patty Gertenblith, a lawyer specializing in cultural heritage and illicit trade, explained that, according to the UNESCO convention on cultural property – of which Niger and the US are signatories – rare minerals, such as meteorites, can be considered cultural heritage. However, Gertenblith said Niger needs to prove that he owned the meteorite and that he was stolen. “If the meteorite was not stolen and was properly declared in imports to the US, then it does not seem that the Niger can recover it,” she told AP. Paul Sereno, a paleontologist who spent years discovering dinosaur fossils at Niger’s Sahara, has been campaigning for the country’s cultural and natural heritage – including meteorites. “When you have laws that clearly say that rare minerals like meteorites are cultural artifacts, you can not simply enter and take something that is so unique and valuable to a country,” he said. “We are no longer in the colonial era,” he added. Some countries, such as Morocco – one of the main sources of meteorites in the international market – require the restitution of objects found in their territory. But the inspection is challenging due to the vast desert areas and informal trade networks.

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