[meteorite-list] METEORITES STOLEN IN JAPAN

From: Darryl Pitt <darryl_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:30:02 -0500
Message-ID: <24D04969-BF82-43EC-86A4-24235AB9E443_at_dof3.com>

For Japanese and Japanese-speaking List Members in particular:

It pains me to write the following, but I do so at the request of dear
friends Akiko Umai and Gene Oshima who run TIMA---the Tokyo
International Mineral Association---and the "Tokyo Show" of early
summer.

Shoichi Saito is a Japanese meteorite dealer who had a little nook in
the TIMA offices at the Century Hyatt from which he transacted
business the last few years---primarily consignment pieces. As the
generous spirit he is, Gene subsidized Saito, whose business fell into
decline. I am now advised Saito and the entire inventory of
meteorites---including many specimens from Gene's personal
collection---have disappeared.

I was just asked to contact the Meteoritical Society as my friends
were hopeful that Saito's membership in the Society might prompt some
type of intervention. More realistically, I am awaiting the names of
the missing meteorites.
Received on Fri 05 Mar 2010 11:30:02 AM PST