India hemorrhaging antiquities

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. . .

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. . .

Impoverished Bihar, which is dotted with Buddhist monuments, is also one of India's most lawless states where killing, kidnapping and extortion is rampant.

Posted by David on October 17, 2006 7:09 PM