Arrests made for Buddha head thefts

Two men have been arrested and a third is being sought in connection with the disappearance of Buddha heads in China’s Shaanxi Province, an official says.

Wang Chunmei, press office director for Huangling County, told China’s official state-run Xinhua news agency on Saturday the suspects attacked Wan’an Buddha Hall employees Friday before stealing 14 stone sculptures of Buddha heads.

In addition to the Northern Song dynasty sculptures, the suspects also stole cell phones and cash from the three employees. Wang said the heads were taken from Buddha statues at the hall that date back nearly 1,000 years.

The two suspects in custody were identified as Zhang Yingjie and Zhang Mingqiang, while the third suspect was not identified. Wang told Xinhua the third suspect is thought to have possession of the missing Buddha heads.

The statues involved in Friday’s theft are tabbed for protection on a national list of cultural heritages.