40s Arrested in Changwon for Attempting to Rob Temple Donation Box Ahead of Buddha's Birthday

Every year around Buddha's Birthday, incidents of 'temple donation box theft' become rampant. About 15 days before the celebration, a man in his 40s attempting to steal from a temple donation box in Gyeongnam was caught by the police.

According to the Masan Dongbu Police Station in Gyeongnam on the 1st, male suspect A broke into a temple's prayer hall in Masanhwoin-gu, Changwon City, around 11:40 p.m. on the 30th, attempting to steal cash from the donation box but failed.

At the time, a motion sensor installed in the temple was triggered, and a monk who checked the closed-circuit television (CCTV) confirmed that A had broken into the prayer hall and reported it to the police.

The police, responding to the report, arrested A about an hour later in a nearby residential area approximately 1 km from the temple.

A is believed to have about ten previous convictions for similar crimes, including stealing cash from religious facilities.

The police plan to apply for an arrest warrant for A after investigating the specific motive and circumstances of the crime.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.