Thai cops go undercover as lion dancers, nab man who allegedly stole $81k worth of Buddhist artefacts

What looked like a regular lion dance performance quickly evolved into a police operation when cops in Bangkok peeled off their costumes and arrested a man suspected of stealing over $81,000 of Buddhist artefacts.

In a statement on Thursday (Feb 19), the Royal Thai Police said that the incident occurred on Wednesday night at a Lunar New Year fair at a temple in Nonthaburi, northwest of Bangkok.

Video footage of the incident shows police officers disguised in traditional Chinese costumes with masks over their faces while others hide beneath a red-and-gold lion costume.

The officers are seen slowly dancing toward the 33-year-old suspect before an officer under the lion head swoops into action and tackles him to the ground.

He is then pinned down by the other officers and subsequently handcuffed.

According to the police, the suspect had been involved in several home burglaries and that he had stolen several Buddhist statues and amulets.

The police said that they had attempted to arrest him several times, but he was too fast for them and managed to slip away.

He eventually admitted to breaking into homes and confessed to drug abuse and gambling.

Police also added that he has a criminal record involving drug offences and theft.

@asiaone Bangkok police arrested a suspect accused of stealing about US$64,000 (S$81,257) worth of Buddhist artefacts on Wednesday (Feb 17) by posing as lion dancers during the Lunar New Year festivities. #news #Thailand #Bangkok #Buddhist #arrest ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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dana.leong@asiaone.com