A bronze statue of the Buddha, valued at $1.5 million (£1.24 million), has been stolen from the Barakat Gallery in Los Angeles. Authorities believe the heist was pulled off by a single thief, who managed to transport the 250-pound sculpture through the gallery’s garden before escaping.

Security footage shows an inconspicuous rental truck parked on the gallery driveway at 2:30am on 18 September 2023. The driver broke open the gate, loaded the valuable statue onto a moving cart, and subsequently drove away with the Buddha. It was on display in the gallery’s sculpture garden, alongside other large stone and marble pieces.

“It was a single person,” explained Paul Henderson, director of Barakat’s Los Angeles location. “It’s shocking to us that he was able to manoeuvre this thing, but he was. It took about 25 minutes in total and then he drove right off.”

Standing at 4ft tall, the imposing statue is thought to have been made during Japan’s prosperous Edo Period (1603-1867). An inscription on the statue suggests that it was part of a prestigious commission for a holy site on Japan’s Mount Yudono. Translated it reads: “Produced by Tadazou Iinuma, first year of Shouho, Kanoe. Prayed for and requested by Ryozen, master of Shingon religious party, Dainichi-Nyorai, Yudo-no-San Temple, of the highest social class.”

Fayez Barakat, the gallery’s owner, acquired the statue more than 55 years ago. He also has galleries in London, Hong Kong and Seoul. “I hope that the person who stole it is not stealing it for the weight of bronze because it’s a historical item,” commented Barakat. “I’m heartbroken.”

Both the owner and director believe it was a premeditated robbery and that the thief must have “scoped out” the gallery before specifically targeting the Buddha sculpture. “We’re all very puzzled,” said Henderson. “The size and the execution make it a very rare item, so it’s not something you’d find on the market which means it’s not something that could be resold easily. We’re still trying to figure out what the motive was and what the thief thinks they’re going to do with this piece.”

Los Angeles Police Department is working with the antiquities gallery and neighbouring businesses to identify the criminal, but no leads have been made yet.