A resident of Novorossiysk tried to take mammoth teeth and tusks to the UAE

A resident of Novorossiysk tried to send five fossilized teeth and four fragments of a mammoth tusk to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This was reported on June 26 in the Telegram channel of the Federal Customs Service (FCS).

"A 42-year-old man from Novorossiysk tried to send a box with paleontological finds. According to the declaration, the package contained souvenirs. The citizen explained that he had sent them as a gift to a friend," the message says.

The FCS stressed that the remains of the woolly mammoth are cultural treasures, and their export requires permission from the Russian Ministry of Culture.

Later, law enforcement officers searched the man's house and seized 14 more items of paleontology. A criminal case has been opened against him under the article on the smuggling of cultural property. He faces imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 1 million rubles.

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In December last year, a resident of St. Petersburg was convicted of smuggling the skull and two fragments of the lower jaw of a fossil woolly rhinoceros. For further resale, he sent them abroad through the post office, submitting a customs declaration with false information.