The handover took place at a special ceremony in Paris. France’s Public Accounts Minister Amelie de Montchalin gave the fossil – along with about 30 other items, including dinosaur eggs -to Mongolia’s culture and sports minister.
De Montchalin said that after a long investigation, “a piece of the Gobi Desert is about to return to its homeland,” describing it as a “scientific and cultural treasure”.
The fossil had been looted (taken without permission) from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert before being transported through South Korea and ending up in France.
When it was discovered, Sophie Hocquerelle from French customs described it as “an exceptional discovery”.
She explained: “This is an entire Tarbosaurus, estimated at around 700,000 euros when it was seized, but since then the market has exploded, so we could say it is worth two to three times that amount today.”
