Search for man who stole terracotta warrior replica from outside shop

Shop owners in Swansea, New South Wales, Australia, have been left distraught after a thief made off with a replica terracotta warrior weighing 175kg in an early morning heist. The thief, believed to be an older man, entered Swansea Arcade five minutes after it opened at 6.45am on Tuesday.

The man, wearing a white wide-brimmed hat, initially attempted to load the statue, valued at more than $2,000, onto a vertical trolley before returning with a flat trolley. Because the replica soldier is so heavy the alleged thief had to lay it down on the flat trolley and take the removable head separately.



The terracotta warrior has been a feature outside Belinda’s Gifts and Health Centre since “day one” and belonged to shop owners Steve Errol and his wife Belinda Wang. The replica came from Xian, the home of the original terracotta warriors and one of China’s peak tourism attractions. The piece holds great sentimental value because that is where Ms Wang’s father comes from.

Mr Errol said the arcade was always locked overnight and because soldier was so heavy they never thought anyone would try and steal it from outside the shop. The Swansea Business Chamber has made a public appeal to catch the daylight burglar while local state MP Garry Edwards has called on him to show some “civic spirit” and return it, which he could do “anonymously”. The chamber urged anyone with information about the matter to contact Charlestown Police.