1,400-year-old Buddha heads recovered in China: report

GlobalPost

Everyone in China can breathe a sigh of relief — the Buddha heads are back.

Police today said the 1,400-year-old stone Buddha heads, which went missing from mountain caves last month, have been found in the country's east, according to China's Xinhua

The heads were nicked from China's Shandong Province and found hidden in a home in the region, officials told Xinhua

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Police said the two Buddha-head-stealing suspects were detained as part of a police crackdown on three robbery gangs in which a total of 13 people were arrested earlier this month. 

The country's 5,000-year cultural history brings with it a large number of precious artifacts, which authorities have struggled to safeguard. 

Xinhua said a man was handed a 13-year sentence and a huge fine earlier this year for managing to steal gold-laden art from the country's historic imperial court, the Forbidden City, in May 2011. 

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