A large bronze Buddha statue, dating to the 12th century, was stolen from a pagoda in the capital’s Dangkor district over the weekend, according to local authorities.

Dangkor commune police chief Lot Khim said the statue, weighing 45 kilogrammes, disappeared on Sunday evening from the Sambour Meas pagoda.

“The thieves unlocked the pagoda and took the Buddhist statue,” he said, adding that authorities believed it was an inside job.

“So far, our police have identified suspects. We are still working hard on this.” 

He refrained from identifying the suspects due to the ongoing investigation, but said police were close to making an arrest.

The statue has been at the Sambour Meas Pagoda since 1979.

To contact the reporter on this story: Buth Reaksmey Kongkea at [email protected]