A Chinese national has been indicted by a court for allegedly stealing nearly $2 million worth of gold nuggets from the city’s National Museum of Natural History, including artifacts dating back to the California gold rush.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday that the 24-year-old suspect faces charges of organized theft and criminal conspiracy in connection with the September 16 heist. She was apprehended two weeks later in Barcelona, Spain, reportedly as she was preparing for her return to China, the office added.
Prosecutors stated that on the morning of September 16, a museum curator was alerted by a cleaning staff member to debris inside the facility and the disappearance of gold nuggets typically on display. These included an 11-pound nugget from Australia, items linked to the 19th-century California gold rush, and a nugget gifted by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in 1833.
An investigation concluded that two doors at the museum had been cut open with a circular saw. In the mineralogy gallery, the display case holding the nuggets was forcibly opened using a blowtorch, according to authorities.
At the scene, investigators located a screwdriver, saws, the blowtorch, and three gas canisters used to power the blowtorch, as per the prosecutor’s office.
It reported that surveillance footage revealed a single individual forcibly entering the museum around 1 a.m. on the morning of the heist.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office estimated the financial loss from the gold nuggets at approximately $1.74 million, with an additional $58,000 in damage caused by the break-in. It also affirmed that the historical and scientific value of the gold pieces was immeasurable.
At the time of her arrest in Barcelona, the suspect attempted to dispose of around two pounds of melted gold pieces, prosecutors further noted.
They indicated that the investigation remains ongoing, as authorities are working to ascertain the whereabouts of the stolen items and identify any accomplices.
In France, the charge of organized theft is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The, as legal proceedings are awaited.