Mongolia has successfully recovered a rare dinosaur skeleton and an extensive collection of fossilized remains that were illegally exported more than 20 years ago, officials announced Wednesday.

The trove includes a Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton, with more than half of the bones estimated to be intact, along with 28 groups of dinosaur fossils originally unearthed in the Gobi Desert. The bones were taken from Mongolia in 2006, reportedly with the intent to profit from their sale, according to D Munkhkhuyag, head of the police public relations department.

French customs authorities seized the fossils over a series of operations between 2013 and 2015. Under international agreements aimed at curbing the illicit trafficking of cultural artifacts, the fossils were returned to Mongolia starting in 2016 through a protracted repatriation process. The collection arrived in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, last Thursday.

The fossils will be housed at the newly established National Museum of Natural History in Ulaanbaatar, where they will undergo study before being displayed to the public. Manchuk Nuramkhan, the museum’s director, described the Tarbosaurus skeleton as "a priceless and unique piece of heritage" and expressed optimism that the fossils would provide educational opportunities for children and young people to engage with Mongolia’s paleontological history.

The Tarbosaurus bataar, a close relative of the well-known Tyrannosaurus rex, lived approximately 70 million years ago and is primarily known from fossil evidence found in the Gobi Desert region. The successful return of these fossils marks a significant achievement in Mongolia’s ongoing efforts to retrieve cultural and scientific artifacts taken abroad.

Authorities noted that the repatriation underscores growing international collaboration to combat the illegal trade in fossils and antiquities. In recent years, Mongolia has intensified its actions to halt fossil smuggling driven by strong demand from private collectors and auction markets worldwide. This case highlights the challenges faced by countries rich in paleontological resources in protecting their heritage from illicit trafficking.