TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The dispute upon 70 years old dinosaur fossil ended when the it was returned to Mongolia, after previously smuggled and put into auction. Last year, the fossil was enlisted in an auction catalogue in Cultural Heritage Auction in Texas, pricing between $ 950,000 to $1.5 million.
However, the Tyrannosaurus fossil, known also as Tarbosaurus, was returned to Mongolian authority by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and United States General Attorney.
"This is the most important fossil return in the last couple of years," said John Morton, the Director of ICE. "We cannot let the colonialists' greed takes away the cultural interest of a nation," he added.
After years of publicity, Tarbosaurus finally returned to Mongolia. Tsagaan Puntsag from the Mongolian presidential office send his gratitude to all of the organizations that helped return the fossil. He emphasized that the fossil belongs to Mongolian and that exporting it is an illegal conduct.
CNN | APRILIANI GITA FITRIA