Police in northern Greece have arrested a village priest and a church elder for allegedly digging for treasure around the altar in the church.
A police statement on Friday says villagers complained of loud drilling noises late Thursday from the church at Fyska near Kilkis, some 30 miles (50 kilometres) north of Thessaloniki.
Officers found a two-by-one-meter hole in the chancel of the 150-year-old church of the Prophet Elijah. Police are seeking four other people suspected of taking part in the illegal dig - in which a pneumatic drill was used.
Illegal treasure hunting has increased amid Greece's acute financial crisis. In recent months, police have made a string of arrests, mainly in the north of the country, and located several tunnels.
