A 24-year-old Chinese woman has been indicted for allegedly stealing nearly $2 million worth of gold nuggets from Paris’ National Museum of Natural History. The heist, which occurred on September 16, involved the theft of historically significant items, including a 11-pound gold nugget from Australia and a piece gifted by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. The suspect was arrested in Barcelona after attempting to smuggle the stolen gold abroad.
Prosecutors revealed that two doors at the museum were cut open with a circular saw, and the display case containing the nuggets was broken into with a blowtorch. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office estimated the financial loss to be around $1.74 million, with an additional $58,000 in damage caused by the break-in. The suspect was apprehended in Barcelona while preparing to return to China, and she remains in custody awaiting court proceedings.
At the time of her arrest, officials reported that the suspect had attempted to dispose of around two pounds of melted gold pieces. Investigators found a screwdriver, saws, the blowtorch, and three gas canisters used to power the blowtorch at the scene, according to the prosecutor’s office. Surveillance footage suggested that a single person entered the museum by force around 1 a.m. on the morning of the heist.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office noted that the organized theft charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The investigation continues, with authorities still trying to determine what became of the stolen items and whether there are any accomplices involved. The case has drawn attention to the vulnerability of high-profile museums to theft and has left other galleries on edge, especially following the brazen daytime heist.