In Irkutsk police detained a 46 year old native of Ivanovo suspected of a series of icon thefts from churches. He stole a relic from the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross and three more icons from the Holy Trinity Church, then sold them to antique shops.
In January, icons were stolen from several churches. The other day, police officers detained a suspect. He turned out to be a 46-year-old native of the city of Ivanovo.The first theft occurred on January 16 in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross. There, the clergy discovered the disappearance of an icon depicting Seraphim of Sarov.
The next crime took place on January 30. This time, the offender stole three more icons from the Holy Trinity Church, located on 5th Army Street.
The investigative task force seized video from surveillance cameras, which captured the moment of the theft. Based on the description, wanted notices were issued.
On February 2, while inspecting churches in Irkutsk, officers detained the suspected offender. He turned out to be a previously convicted native of the city of Ivanovo. The detainee was released from prison in December last year, where he had served a sentence for a similar crime committed by him in the Ivanovo region.
By the time of his arrest, the offender had already managed to sell the sacred items to various antique shops. This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Irkutsk Region.
All measures have been taken to locate and return the church property. Experts will have to determine the actual value of the stolen items.
On the facts of the thefts, a criminal case has been opened on the grounds of an offense under Part 2 of Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
The suspect is being held in a temporary detention facility. Detectives are checking this person's involvement in the commission of other similar crimes.