The Spanish police have recovered these stolen religious items including two golden goblets encrusted with semi-precious stones after the thief posted them for sale online.

The Spanish National Police recovered the three religious objects that it turned out had been stolen from a parish in the district of Hortaleza in the Spanish capital Madrid on 7th July 2014, according to a police report from yesterday (6th May).

The most valuable was a bible with a Byzantine-style gold and silver hardcover which depicted a crucifix in the front with semi-precious stones around it representing the 12 apostles.

Also recovered were two golden goblets that were also encrusted with semi-precious stone around them.

One was “especially valuable” since it was made to honour the 50th anniversary since the parish’s former priest, who was in the Hortaleza parish for 27 years, took his Godly vows. It is unclear how old the recovered items are.

The police’s investigations eventually lead them to a popular second-hand online shop where they found pictures matching the descriptions of the stolen items, according to the official report.

It said: “According to the description made by the vendor it could be perceived that he did not value the exceptional characteristics of the products he was selling.”

Some of his descriptions were “Vintage bible, super durable”. He listed the bible at EUR 2,500 (GBP 2,168) and the golden goblets at EUR 1,300 (GBP 1,127) each.

Agents from the Spanish National Police posed as interested buyers and managed to recover the items before returning them to the parish priest Antonio Fernandez on Friday 30th April, according to local paper El Pais. (https://bit.ly/3nVsvPT)

The videos show members of the Spanish Police displaying the objects and giving them back to their rightful owner after the theft almost seven years ago.

The priest said: “We are very happy! They are pieces of great sentimental value that can even be used for Eucharists again. I honestly thought I would never see them again.”

The police report said: “The male who was offering these objects in a buy-sell platform for individuals was charged with the crime of forced robbery aggravated by the known value of the objects.”

El Pais said the suspect, who has not been named, was identified as a 49-year-old male who lived in the area. The police said he stole the items “possibly for economic reasons”.

It is unclear if a trial date has been set.