Police task force to investigate smuggling of Buddhist relics

The theft of Buddhist relics from India is becoming quite a problem. From Reuters:

More than 3,600 Buddhist antiques have been smuggled out of the eastern Indian state of Bihar in the past one year, forcing police to set up a special force to tackle the menace, officials said on Tuesday.

"We are deeply concerned about the situation and stopping smugglers is a major challenge," Arun Chandra Verma, a top police official told Reuters from the state capital, Patna.

Rare and priceless Buddhist idols and other relics have also gone missing from the neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Orissa in the past year, police and archaeologists said.

Verma said a special force -- led by 25 specially trained officers -- has been set up to bust smuggling rackets in the region.

Buddhist relics are in great demand in Japan, China and Thailand where Buddhism is deeply rooted, as well as in Europe where a single idol can easily fetch tens of thousands of dollars.

What part of the second precept taught by the Buddha don't the buyers of these relics understand? If Buddhism were really deeply rooted in those countries, there wouldn't be a demand in them for stolen goods.

南無阿彌陀佛