ISHIKAWA (TR) – Police have arrested two Sri Lankan nationals on suspicion of theft after they allegedly stripped copper roofing and traditional ornaments from a temple in Wajima City.
On Wednesday, police displayed the confiscated loot to the press. The haul included a traditional oni-ita (demon-faced roof ornament) and a massive quantity of copper roofing plates. According to a reporter at the scene, the stolen materials weighed a staggering 190 kilograms in total — 180 kilograms of copper plates and a 10-kilogram ornament — with an estimated value of 380,000 yen.
The suspects, described as unemployed Sri Lankan men aged 30 and 29, are accused of targeting the Wajima City temple and making off with the heavy fixtures on April 24.
The duo’s alleged crime spree came to an abrupt end during a police stop in Wajima. Officers questioned the men and discovered a crowbar concealed inside their vehicle, leading to the immediate arrest of one suspect on the spot. A subsequent search of the car uncovered the stolen temple roofing.
Police have withheld whether the suspects have admitted to the allegations, citing the ongoing investigation.
However, authorities suspect the pai may be responsible for a wider string of thefts. Investigators confiscated additional stolen goods from the men, including Buddhist altar fittings and water faucets, and are currently probing them for further crimes.
