The abbot of a monastery in Kalavryta, located in the east-central region of Achaea, and his assistant have been arrested after allegedly attempting to sell priceless religious relics for €200,000.

Among the artifacts the abbot tried to sell were two holy gospels dating to 1737 and 1761, 17 Byzantine icons, and several other objects protected under Greece’s antiquities law.

In addition to the abbot and his aide, police also detained a pawnbroker and his wife, as well as two intermediaries accused of facilitating the attempted sale. The arrests came after an undercover operation in which a female police officer posed as a prospective buyer.

Authorities said the abbot and his assistant were caught red-handed trying to sell items belonging to the monastery’s property. The Ministry of Culture is now examining the seized relics to determine their religious and commercial value.

According to state broadcaster ERT, at least one icon and the two gospels had been stolen from the region of Sparta. Police later confirmed that four additional individuals were arrested in connection with the case, bringing the total number of suspects to six.

The Kalavryta Archdiocese reacted by immediately replacing the monastery’s abbot.

The abbot of the Monastery of Spilea and his alleged accomplices appeared before the Corinth prosecutor’s office.