Precious Items Stolen from St. Nicholas Statue in Bari

Unknown thieves broke into the St. Nicholas Basilica of Bari and stole valuable items from the St. Nicolas statue within. They took a book with three silver balls and a cross with some precious stones. From the other hand, they took a golden ring with some stones and an old necklace. This statue has become a symbol of peace in the last weeks, due to the Ukraine war, which made the theft especially malicious. The theft occurred on 22. March.
Update 29.03.2022: The stolen items were found in a backpack in the countryside of Japigia. The police now have the stolen goods and a 49 year old man, Farid Hanzouti, was arrested for the crime. The police had all the possessions which they were going to return to the church.
Source and Image: religion.orf.at
Udate source: bari.repubblica.it