BANGKOK — Thai police disguised as a red-and-yellow lion during Lunar New Year festivities tackled and arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of stealing Buddhist artifacts after weeks of surveillance, authorities said.
The Wednesday evening arrest followed a report earlier this month of a home burglary in a suburb of the capital that involved “numerous Buddhist objects and two 12-inch Buddha statues,” according to a statement from Bangkok’s metropolitan police. Investigators also found evidence of repeated attempts to break into the same house.
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With few leads and the holiday offering unusual cover, officers devised a plan to join a lion dance procession at a nearby Buddhist temple to move in without alerting the suspect, police said.
Video released by authorities shows the brightly costumed lion approaching the man before an officer suddenly emerges from the head of the costume and, with help from colleagues, pins him to the ground as drums and cymbals continue in the background.
Police estimated the value of the stolen items at about two million baht (€54,500). The suspect, who has a criminal record that includes drug offenses and theft, was taken into custody. Authorities did not immediately release further details about potential charges.
The sting unfolded amid Bangkok’s week of Lunar New Year celebrations, when lion dances and parades are common at temples and neighborhood gatherings across the city. Officers said they maintained a watch in the area for weeks before the opportunity arose to fold the operation into a festival procession.
Police did not identify the suspect or the homeowners but said the unusual tactic was prompted by the lack of conventional leads in the case and the tight-knit nature of the neighborhood where the burglary was reported. The video of the arrest was released as part of the department’s public update on the investigation.
As of Thursday, authorities had not announced the recovery of the stolen artifacts. The case remains under investigation.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
