Police in Phuket have arrested a young man on suspicion of stealing religious statues from Chinese shrines in the south of the island. The unnamed 18 year old was arrested in the district of Kathu, according to a Phuket Express report.
He is accused of stealing 10 statues from two Chinese shrines in the sub-district of Chalong. Both shrines had filed police reports earlier this week, providing CCTV footage as evidence.
It’s understood the footage shows a man taking 9 Chinese statues and a Buddha statue from the two shrines. The thief can be seen wearing a school uniform under a jacket.
According to the report, the teenager has told police that he needed money to repay debts and that he pawned the statues to pawnshops on the island. All ten statues have now been returned to the shrines.
The teenager’s father has also spoken to representatives from both shrines and apologised. It’s unknown if his son will face charges.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
