Niger Launches Investigation into $5 Million Sale of Martian Meteorite Amid Smuggling Concerns

Edited by: Tendai Zola

Authorities in Niger have announced the opening of an official investigation into the high-profile sale of a Martian meteorite discovered in the country’s northern Agadez region in 2023, raising concerns over possible international trafficking.

The rock, weighing 24.67 kilograms, is described as the largest known Martian fragment on Earth and was sold last week at an auction in New York for more than $5 million, according to Sotheby’s, which organized the sale.

In a statement aired on public television, the Nigerien government revealed that it had tasked the ministers of mines, higher education, and justice with examining the circumstances surrounding the sale. The authorities stated that the case “likely bears the hallmarks of illicit international trafficking.”

The meteorite, marked by hues of red, brown, and gray, is approximately 70% larger than the next largest Martian sample ever found on Earth and constitutes nearly 7% of all Martian-origin material currently identified on the planet, Sotheby’s added.

The object was reportedly found in November 2023 by a meteorite hunter in the desert region of Agadez, an area historically known for its mineral discoveries. However, the government asserts that it was never officially declared or registered within Niger before being exported and sold abroad.

To date, the identity of the buyer remains undisclosed, adding to concerns over the legality and transparency of the transaction.

This case has reignited debates around the ownership of rare geological finds and the rights of countries of origin in preserving and controlling access to their natural and scientific heritage.