Saturday, March 12, 2011

$2 million stolen from nuns at Spanish convent

About $2 million has been stolen from Spanish nuns who had hidden the money in a wardrobe at their convent, police said Tuesday in northern city of Zaragoza.

The money, which consisted mainly of 500-euro bills, had been packed into plastic bags.

The door into the room had been forced open, but the nuns told police they had no idea who the culprit could be.

Local residents were surprised to hear that the nuns, who were known for their austere lifestyle, had so much money.

"They were probably not aware of how imprudent it was to keep that amount at the convent, nor of the damage that it does to the image of the (Catholic) church," the daily El Mundo quoted sources close to the Zaragoza archbishop's office as saying.