[meteorite-list] Russian meteorites-- don't take them for granite!

From: Peter Davidson <P.Davidson_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:27:21 -0000
Message-ID: <D7171847AEFC6A4893D80C75E547E271010EF8C5_at_nmsmail02.nms2k.int>

Dear All

It is interesting that Darren should raise this topic now. Yesterday
afternoon (Thursday 11th), I was contacted by the BBC and asked to
comment on this very item and also to say something about the illegal
trade in meteorites.

I also took the opportunity to inform them of the situation in Sudan
regarding the arrest of "illegal" collectors.

It goes without saying that, as a National Museum, we have to be
absolutely certain that any purchase we make is checked out and that the
vendor has legal title to the object he/she is selling - this goes for
any potential accession whether it is a priceless antique or artefact, a
piece of technology such as an old radio set or railway engine, or a
mineral/meteorite. It would be a disaster if we were knowingly to buy
anything that is in any way "dodgy". The result of this is that we are
no longer approached by sellers or dealers with this type of material.
This means that I am not that knowledgeable on the illegal trade in
meteorites. I know it goes on - I am not blind - but I have no first
hand experience.

What this matter does show is that the media are now picking up on this
trade and raising awareness of it to a new level. Much like they did
with the illegal collecting and trading in fossils and minerals. It will
never stop it, but it does make everyone in the business, or it should,
a little more wary.

Have a great weekend

Peter Davidson
Curator of Minerals
 
National Museums Collection Centre
National Museums Scotland
242 West Granton Road
Edinburgh
EH5 1JA
Phone: +44 131 247 4283
p.davidson at nms.ac.uk
www.nms.ac.uk
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Darren
Garrison
Sent: 11 February 2010 19:45
To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Subject: [meteorite-list] Russian meteorites-- don't take them for
granite!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gHt4NoeWwYXIjlcyAaDow
vFEK-FA

Russia nabs meteorite smuggling ring

(AFP) - 7 hours ago

MOSCOW - Amid a huge bounty of contraband goods seized recently at a
Russian
airport, one far-out find floored customs officials: chunks of
meteorite.

"On the customs declaration, the smugglers identified it as granite for
construction and decoration of office space," Larisa Ledovskikh, a
spokeswoman
for customs at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, told AFP on Thursday.

"But our officials could see it was clearly not granite!"

The two smugglers -- who also tried to ship out silver antiques,
fossils,
semi-precious stones, microscopes and old books in the suspect cargo --
were
initially charged with making a false declaration on their customs form.

Only after a three-month investigation did officials discover that the
mystery
lumps were fragments from outer space and the men part of a larger crime
ring
including experts and scientists, Ledovskikh said.

"They were part of an organized criminal gang. They had worked out a
plan in
advance to smuggle out of Russian territory and to the Czech Republic...
two
meteorite chunks, each weighing 100 grams," she said.

The two men were arrested on Sunday and charged with contraband, a
sentence that
carries a maximum of 12 years in prison in Russia.
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Received on Fri 12 Feb 2010 04:27:21 AM PST