A man in Fujian, China, has been arrested after allegedly stealing 2,000 yuan (approximately RM1,400) from a temple donation box, only to leave behind one yuan (around RM0.70) in the hope of seeking divine forgiveness.
According to reports by Chinese media outlets including Southeast Morning Post and Hong Kong 01, the incident took place at a temple in Hui’an County, Quanzhou, Fujian.
A temple caretaker discovered the missing donations after returning from lunch and immediately reported the theft to the police.
After reviewing CCTV footage, police found that a man had been wandering around the temple’s main hall while repeatedly glancing towards the entrance.
Once he was satisfied that nobody was around, the suspect allegedly approached the donation box and used a tool he had prepared in advance to pull out banknotes before stuffing them into his pocket.
However, before leaving, the man reportedly placed a one-yuan note on a nearby table.
Police subsequently identified and arrested the 38-year-old suspect, whose surname was given as Qin. All 2,000 yuan in stolen donations was recovered.
During questioning, Qin reportedly admitted that he had left the one yuan behind in the hope that the gods would forgive him for stealing the temple’s donations.
He was subsequently placed under administrative detention for 12 days.
