A CYPRIOT MONK HAS BEEN caught at a Greek airport smuggling an unusual type of contraband – the remains of a dead nun.

The monk claimed he was transporting the remains of a nun who died four years ago to a monastery in Cyprus.

The Cyprus Mail reports that three Cypriots, including the monk, were arrested at the airport.

Police said the nun was not recognised as a saint by the Greek or Cypriot Orthodox Church, but say she had lived at a convent in Cyprus. They also said the suspects had been in frequent contact with the nun before her death.

The nun may have been revered by a church sect, without being recognised officially, Reuters reports.

The Archbishop of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos, condemned the men’s actions as “sacrilege” and theft motivated by financial interests:

“They are probably acts of quackery by some aiming to make financial gains. That is my suspicion.”

Police have charged the monk, another man and a woman with theft and desecrating the remains of a deceased person. All three deny the charges.

The monk has been suspended for three months from the Kykko Monastery at which he lives because he left without permission, he told police.