Barcelona: A 24-year-old Chinese woman is currently being detained in Paris on suspicion of stealing 6 kilograms of gold nuggets valued at £1.5 million ($1.75 million) from the Museum of Natural History in Paris. The arrest was announced by state prosecutor Laure Beccuau, who disclosed that the woman was apprehended in Barcelona by Spanish authorities in September under a European arrest warrant.
According to Ghana News Agency, prosecutors charged the woman on October 13 with theft and membership in an organized criminal gang. She is accused of breaking into the museum during the night of September 15-16. While the material value of the stolen nuggets is estimated at £1.5 million, their scientific and historical significance is considered invaluable, as they include finds from Bolivia, Russia, California, French Guiana, and Australia.
Police discovered tools, gas bottles, and a cutting torch at the crime scene. Surveillance footage indicated that the woman acted alone during the heist. She reportedly left France the same day, seemingly intending to travel to China. Upon her arrest in Barcelona, she attempted to dispose of approximately 1 kilogram of gold that had been melted down. Authorities are investigating whether this gold was part of the stolen collection and if she had any accomplices in the crime.
