by Dakar, Senegal (AP)-it is the largest piece of Mars ever found on earth-a meteorite of 54 pounds (25 kilograms) that yielded more than $ 5 million last month at an auction of New York, which set a world record.
But in the West African nation of Niger, where the rustrode rock was excavated in the Sahara desert, civil servants have started an investigation into what they call possible ‘illegal international human trafficking’, claim that it may have been smuggled out of the country.
This is what about the meteorite and the legal dispute:
How it was found
Sotheby’s said that the rock, called NWA 16788, was blown from the surface of Mars by a huge asteroid strike and 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) to the earth.
It was discovered in the Sahara in the northwest of Niger by a meteorite hunter in November 2023, according to the auction house. His identity was not announced. Nor was the identity of the buyer last month.
Meteorite hunt grows in dry Saharan countries such as Niger. Although meteorites can fall everywhere on earth, the Sahara has become an excellent place for their discovery partly because of the favorable climate for their preservation.
Hunters often look for space ridges that can be sold to collectors or scientists. The rarest and precious are from Mars and the Moon.
According to the Heritage Academic Journal, the rock was sold to an international dealer before it ended up in a private bowl tube in Italy. A team of scientists from the University of Florence investigated the rock last year to learn more about its structure and where it came from before he fell on earth, the publication said.
The meteorite could also be seen briefly in Rome before he was seen in New York during the auction last month.
Why Niger is investigating
After the sale, Niger raised questions about how the meteorite was sold at an auction.
The government of Niger announced an investigation last month to determine the circumstances of the discovery and sale of the meteorite, and said in a statement that it was “related to illegal international human trafficking”.
Last week, President AbdouraHamhane Tiani suspended the export of “precious stones, semi -precious stones and meteorite nationally” in an attempt to guarantee their traceability.
Sotheby’s said in a statement sent to the Associated Press, the meteorite was exported from Niger and transported in line with all relevant international procedures.
“As with everything we sell, all the necessary documentation was in every phase of his journey, in accordance with the best practice and the requirements of the countries involved.” read the statement.
Authorities in Niger did not respond to AP questions.
What international law says
Although there are worldwide similarities to regulate the trade of cultural artifacts, there is ambiguity about whether meteorites are covered.
Patty Gerstblith, a lawyer of cultural heritage and expert in the field of illegal trade, said that Meteorites can qualify as cultural property under the Unesco Treaty on Cultural Property – that Niger and the US have ratified.
Gerstenblith said, however, that Niger must prove that it had the meteorite and that it was stolen, because illegal exports from the country do not make the meteorite illegal in the US
“If the meteorite was not stolen and if it was declared correctly when imported in the US, it would not seem that Niger could restore the meteorite,” she told the AP.
Some countries, such as Morocco, one of the leading sources of meteorites on the international market, require a refund if the objects on their territory are discovered. But enforcement has been a challenge because of the enormous desert areas and informal trade networks.
