This is the moment customs officers foil an attempt to smuggle a 2.5-tonne fragment of a rare meteorite into the UK after stopping a shipment disguised as a garden ornament.

The seizure took place at the port of St Petersburg, in St Petersburg, north-western Russia, on 5th February.

Customs officials said a sea container weighing more than two tonnes was flagged during routine scanning after the sender declared the cargo as a sculpture for landscape design.

But a detailed inspection and expert analysis revealed the object was actually a large fragment of the Aletai iron meteorite.

Authorities said the meteorite fragment was being covertly exported to the United Kingdom and had an estimated value of around RUB 323 million (GBP 3.1 million).

Photo shows the meteorite found by the customs agents in St.Petersburg, Russia, undated. It was attempted to be smuggled to the UK. Note: Licensed photo. (FBS/Newsflash)

Experts confirmed the Aletai meteorite is one of the largest known iron meteorites ever found on Earth and is believed to be a fragment of either an ancient protoplanet or the core of a large asteroid that broke apart around 4.5 billion years ago during the formation of the Solar System.

A criminal case has been opened under Russian law for the smuggling of strategically important goods or cultural values, which carries a maximum possible prison sentence of up to three years.

The investigation is ongoing.

(Aloysius Fernandes /Newsflash)