A St. Petersburg resident tried to send the remains of an extinct animal abroad by mail

A 63-year-old resident of St. Petersburg, accused of smuggling the skull and two fragments of the lower jaw of a fossilized woolly rhinoceros, was approved a guilty verdict. This was reported by the Moscow Interregional Transport Prosecutor's Office on December 16.

The man is charged under Part 1 of Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Smuggling of cultural property, that is, the illegal transfer of cultural property through the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union on a large scale").

According to the investigation, in 2022, the man acquired a skull and two fragments of the lower jaw of a fossilized extinct woolly rhinoceros. Then, for further resale, he sent them abroad through the post office, having filed a customs declaration with false information.

"The parcel with cultural values, the market value of which is about 300 thousand rubles, was revealed by employees of the Central Postal Customs of the Federal Customs Service of Russia at Sheremetyevo airport," reads the message published in the Telegram-channel of the transport prosecutor's office.

The criminal case was sent for consideration to the court.

Earlier, on December 5, customs officers in St. Petersburg found three bundles of currency prohibited for export in one of the parcels packed in a Santa Claus bag. The currencies were wrapped in foil, the total amount amount amounted to €18 thousand. They also found four pairs of silver earrings, a brooch and blisters with hormonal pills in Santa Claus' bag. The parcel was planned to be sent to Riga. The sender faces a fine.