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Market Control Agency of the southern province of An Giang has seized a Buddha statue of 82 kilograms in weight, which is rumored to be made of gold.

The agency seized the statue in the smuggling case of an antique in Chau Thanh district. The statue is made of yellow metal, weighing 81.9 kilograms, 116cm high. Experts are conducting tests to define the date and the material that makes the statue.

If test confirms that this is gold-made statue, this will be the largest-ever antique smuggling case so far in An Giang.

Smugglers declared that the statue was fished out by a fisherman in An Giang province. The statue was sold several times until it was transferred to a woman in Chau Thanh district. The woman agreed to sell the statue to an antique trader in HCM City at the price of $300,000.

PV