New England Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center in Grafton robbed

GRAFTON – Police suspect that an organized gang of thieves broke into a Buddhist temple and meditation center last weekend.

Police Chief Neil A. Minardi said four men broke into the New England Buddhist Vihara & Meditation Center, located at 162 Old Upton Road.

The burglary happened on Sunday around 1:30 p.m. Menardi said suspects in a red Honda Pilot spent about 40 minutes searching the center for money and jewelry.

Police were notified of the burglary from a caller who was out of town but saw someone under surveillance entering the building, Minardi said. The caller did not notify police until an hour after the initial burglary, he said.

“It looks like they were an organized team that has done this before,” Minardi said. “We are working with other law enforcement agencies and investigating possible links to other breaches, not necessarily in this area, not necessarily recent, but they may have been other breaches that targeted other religious institutions.”

Minardi said there was no evidence of any bias or motivation against the center.

“The damage that was done was due to burglary and items being left lying around,” Minardi said.

The suspect vehicle’s license plate was obscured from surveillance cameras, Minardi said.

“They knew what they were doing,” Minardi said. “They were able to go in and break into a few secure rooms in the building, and then they stole money and jewelry.”

Bhante Pannasiri, a Buddhist monk who oversees the complex, sent an email statement about the burglary, addressed to “Dear Dhamma Friends” who visit the center.

“The police visited the temple and collected all the evidence along with our surveillance videos and we also gave them a list of our losses,” he said. “We will keep you informed of the status of the investigation and will discuss with you how we can prevent this in the future.”

Around 2:20 p.m., Bhante Pannasiri said he noticed that one of the surveillance cameras inside, which faces the main meditation room, had been moved and was pointing toward the ceiling. When he returned the camera to its normal position, he saw strangers in the center. He said the crew consisted of six thieves.

“This is an unexpected incident because this is a very sacred place,” Bhante Pannasiri said on Tuesday.

Alarmed by what he saw, Bhante Pannasiri said he called the police.

“As a Buddhist monk, we always teach kindness and compassion to everyone and do not harm anyone, physically or mentally,” Bhante Pannasiri said. “We always forgive people. … But everyone has to follow the law. No one is above the law. We all respect and follow the law. At the same time, we also have to deal with our inner peace. And I hope this never happens to anyone, because this is not the right thing to do.”

Bhante Pannasiri said the thieves gained entry by using burglary tools to pick the lock on a sliding door and then pushing aside a two-metre-tall bookcase that was propped up against the door. He showed another sliding door at the back where they had tried to enter in vain.

“They searched everywhere, in all the rooms,” Bhante Pannasiri said. “They took cash and jewelry. …They also stole some monuments and (religious) symbols.”

Anyone with information about the burglary, or who saw a red Honda Pilot near the temple Sunday afternoon, is encouraged to call Detective Daniel Wenc at (508) 839-2858.