A Chinese national has appeared before French authorities, accused of stealing six gold artifacts valued at approximately €1.5 million from the Natural History Museum in Paris last month.
The suspect was arrested in Barcelona while attempting to sell melted gold. Police discovered a corner grinder and a blowtorch at the crime scene.
The museum’s alarm and surveillance systems had been disabled by a cyberattack, which the woman allegedly knew about and exploited to commit the theft. The theft was discovered by museum staff arriving before dawn.
She was arrested by Spanish police on September 30 under an international warrant and handed over to French authorities the same day. At the time of arrest, she was in possession of about one kilogram of melted gold. Investigations continue, as authorities suspect she was planning to transport the gold to China.
One of the largest stolen pieces, originating from Australia, weighs 5 kg and is valued at around €585,000 at current gold prices.
