PARIS: A Chinese woman has been arrested and charged over the theft of gold from the Natural History Museum in Paris.
The 24-year-old suspect was detained in Barcelona on September 30 and extradited to France on October 13.
She faces charges of theft and criminal conspiracy and has been placed in provisional detention.
Investigations revealed she left France on the day of the September 16 break-in and was preparing to return to China.
At the time of her arrest, she was attempting to dispose of nearly one kilogram of melted gold pieces.
The museum’s curator discovered the theft after a cleaner reported debris at the site.
Stolen items included gold nuggets from Bolivia donated in the 18th century and from Russia’s Ural region gifted by Tsar Nicholas I in 1833.
California gold rush era nuggets and a five-kilogram Australian nugget discovered in 1990 were also taken.
Nearly six kilograms of native gold was stolen with damages estimated at €1.5 million.
The prosecutor noted the historical and scientific value of the pieces was “priceless”.
Investigators found two museum doors had been cut with a grinder and the display case breached using a blowtorch.
Tools including a blowtorch, grinder, screwdriver, gas cylinders and saws were recovered nearby.
Surveillance footage showed a lone intruder entering the museum shortly after 1:00 am and leaving around 4:00 am.
The museum’s director at the time described the theft as the work of an “extremely professional team”.
This incident follows Sunday’s jewellery heist at the world-famous Louvre museum.
Police continue to hunt for thieves involved in that spectacular daylight robbery.
The investigation into the Natural History Museum theft remains ongoing. – AFP
