Two charges filed in Buryatia over jade extraction, storage, and transport
A criminal case has been opened in Buryatia concerning the illicit extraction, storage, and movement of jade exceeding 250 kilograms with an estimated value around five million rubles, according to the public prosecutor’s office. The authorities confirmed the information through regional department reports.
The supervisory body indicates that a local resident is facing two separate charges. The first accuses large‑scale, unauthorized jade mining, brought under Part 3 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The second charges relates to illegal storage and transportation of jade on a large scale without a license, filed under Part 2 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code.
The investigation asserts that between May 2022 and March 2023 the individual participated in illegal mining activities in the Bauntovsky District of Buryatia and engaged in the illicit storage and transport of jade in its natural form as alluvial river rocks and pebbles. In this context, jade is classified as a semi‑precious mineral.
The seized jade weighs more than 250 kilograms and carries an estimated value close to five million rubles, highlighting the scale of the alleged operation.
In July of this year, a separate incident involved an attack on a jade mine in Buryatia, where roughly 40 police officers were targeted by assailants. The episode underscores ongoing tensions surrounding resource extraction in the region.
Earlier local reports referenced a different archeological item, noting a 3,000‑year‑old bronze sacrificial altar said to have been created in China, illustrating the diverse range of notable finds that have surfaced in the area.