By BlueShift | 2026-03-11

When space rocks plummet through Earth's atmosphere and hit the ground, their onward journey can take some unusual twists, if they happen to fall into human hands.

They might not look like much to the casual observer, but meteorites can sometimes command hundreds of thousands of dollars due to their rarity and scientific value -- and that can be a powerful draw to those seeking to profit.

"Meteorites are particularly valuable geologic specimens because they represent samples of planetary bodies which we have not yet obtained through either manned or unmanned space missions,' per the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

"Neither is it likely that samples of these bodies will be available by any other means than fortuitous falls for at least a generation," it added.

"Thus, as a scientific resource, meteorites provide us with some of our first glimpses of the diverse array of planetary material scattered throughout the inner solar system."

That is, if they make their way into the hands of scientists.

Russian investigators in February prevented a giant meteorite fragment from being smuggled out of the country disguised as a garden ornament, according to the Federal Customs Service of Russia.

The 2.5 ton specimen is believed to have come from the Aletai meteorite, one of the largest known iron meteorites on Earth, it said, noting that prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation.

The Aletai meteorite was discovered in western China in 1898 and is thought to be at least 4.5 billion years old.

The meteorite fragment was discovered "during checks on a sea container at the port of Saint Petersburg," the customs service said in a statement.

The attempted export had been "declared as a garden sculpture. But a detailed inspection revealed that the origin and value of the cargo differed from the information declared," it added.

Video taken at the time showed customs officers prying open a crate to find the rock, its surface gray and rugged.

The fragment could be worth approximately $4.2 million, the statement said.

The statement did not say who had attempted to import the fragment, only that it was destined for the United Kingdom, AFP reported.

As of early March, the meteorite was still in the custody of Russian authorities, and no arrests had been made in connection with the incident.

Sales, thefts and legal considerations

The internet is littered with websites offering meteorites for sale, with prices ranging from a few dollars into the hundreds of thousands.

But scientists have long expressed ethical concerns about the sale of these space rocks, which are often coveted for research purposes and hold important clues about the make-up of the early solar system.

A further complicating factor is the lack of pertinent laws governing the sale of such objects, or laws that vary widely from nation to nation.

Last year, Niger launched an investigation into the alleged illegal trafficking of a rare Martian meteorite, NWA 16788, which sold for over $5 million at a New York auction house in July.

The sale set a world record as the most valuable meteorite ever sold at auction, but also pushed Niger, which did not have specific laws in place to prohibit the export of space rocks, to suspend the export of meteorites.

Meanwhile, the unknown fate of the El Ali meteorite -- the ninth largest ever found and the origin of three newly discovered minerals -- continues to fuel speculation and controversy.

The meteorite was stolen from its resting place in Somalia's desert in 2020, where it had been a local landmark and source of folklore for generations.

Because of its metallic composition, camel herders had used it as a whetstone, to sharpen their knives.

The El Ali meteorite was removed by persons unknown amid the country's civil war. It is now believed to be in China, possibly sold to a private collector.