Morocco recovers rare Cretaceous fossils seized in France

Nine rare fossils have been repatriated to Morocco through a collaborative effort with France aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage. Announced on Friday by Morocco's Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, this initiative involves a collection seized by French customs in February 2025 in Menton, after being illicitly transported by express truck from Spain to Italy.

The returned artifacts include teeth from extinct species dating back approximately 72 million years. Among them are nine fossils from the Late Cretaceous period, between 66 and 72 million years ago. These remains belonged to marine reptiles and ancient species akin to crocodiles, all extracted from Morocco's geological basin.

In its statement, the ministry praised the return as «the result of close cooperation» with French authorities and «evidence of the two countries' shared commitment to combating the illicit trafficking of cultural goods», underscoring efforts to preserve Morocco's natural and geological heritage for future generations.