Disputed Tyrannosaur skeleton will soon be returned to Mongolia from US
U.S. authorities said on Wednesday they expect this week to seize a 70-million-year-old聽dinosaur聽skeleton that was discovered in聽聽more 65 years ago and now is stored in New York and at the center of an international legal dispute.
A federal judge in New York has signed a warrant that allows the聽聽to seize the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus bataar - an Asian cousin of the North American Tyrannosaurus rex - from聽-based Heritage Auctions.
"We should have it by the end of the week," said Luis Martinez, a spokesman for U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The seizure will be a "major step forward" for the government of聽, which is claiming sovereign ownership and seeking the skeleton's return, said聽, a聽聽attorney who represents Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia.
The skeleton - 8 feet (2.4m) tall and 24 feet (7.3m) long - has been stored in crates in New York City since Heritage sold it at auction to an unidentified buyer for more than $1 million on May 20.
At the request of the聽, a U.S. District judge in聽聽issued a restraining order preventing the skeleton from being moved or the ownership transferred while the dispute is pending.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney聽Preet Bharara聽filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking the forfeiture of the nearly intact skeleton and its return to the聽.
In New York, U.S. District Judge聽聽on Tuesday issued an order to seize the fossil, ruling there was probable cause it was subject to forfeiture under federal laws.
"From a legal standpoint, the聽's lawsuit shifts the burden of proof from聽聽to Heritage and others who might make a claim to its ownership," Painter said.
Heritage officials have said they will continue to cooperate with authorities. They say the skeleton was legally obtained and brought to auction by a reputable consignor.
"We believe our consignor purchased fossils in good faith, then spent a year of his life and considerable expense identifying, restoring, mounting and preparing what had previously been a much less valuable matrix of unassembled, underlying bones and bone fragments,"聽, co-chairman of聽, said in a statement. "We sincerely hope there is a just and fair outcome for all parties."
Federal officials said smugglers made false statements about the skeleton when it was imported into the聽听蹿谤辞尘 Britain in 2010. The skeleton did not originate in Britain nor was its value only $15,000 as claimed, they said.
The skeleton was discovered in 1946 during a joint Soviet-Mongolian expedition to the Gobi Desert in'蝉听聽Province, Bharara said.聽聽has had laws in place since 1924 prohibiting the export of聽dinosaur聽fossils that are considered national treasures and government property.
聽and the聽聽agreed in May to jointly investigate the ownership of the skeleton. Several paleontologists examined the skeleton several weeks ago and determined it was removed from the聽听颈苍听聽between 1995 and 2005. (Editing by Daniel Trotta and Bill Trott)
