Barcelona gold heist arrest has led to the detention of a woman suspected of stealing €1.5 million worth of gold nuggets from Paris’s Natural History Museum. The suspect, a Chinese national born in 2001, was apprehended in Barcelona on 30th September following a European arrest warrant. Consequently, she has now been extradited to French authorities.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Investigation Reveals Elaborate Barcelona Gold Heist Planning
The theft occurred during the early hours of 16th September when the museum was closed. Furthermore, security footage captured an individual forcing entry around 1am and leaving three hours later. Investigators discovered that two doors had been cut open with an angle grinder while a display case was smashed using a blowtorch found nearby.
Additionally, police recovered multiple tools including another angle grinder, a screwdriver, three gas canisters and several saws. The stolen collection included historically significant gold nuggets from Bolivia, Russia, California and Australia. Meanwhile, the total weight approached six kilograms of native gold, which carries higher value than processed gold.
The maintenance worker who discovered the theft alerted a curator, who confirmed the disappearance of the gold specimens. Moreover, the historical and scientific value of these items is considered incalculable despite their substantial monetary worth. Therefore, French prosecutors assigned the investigation to specialist police units.
During the Barcelona arrest, the suspect attempted to dispose of nearly one kilogram of melted gold pieces. The investigation continues to analyse this recovered material and determine what happened to the remaining stolen objects. Authorities are also examining whether the woman had accomplices in this sophisticated operation.
Join our WhatsApp broadcast channel for instant news updates!
