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Moscow Burglar Steals Cash, Jewelry, Valuable Sphynx Cat

Moscow police have detained a man accused of burglarizing an apartment and stealing cash, jewelry and a pedigree cat, Russian media reports said Thursday.

The alleged cat burglar, 22, is accused of having climbed construction scaffolding to gain entry to a fifth-story apartment during a New Year's Eve heist, and making off with valuables, including a hairless cat of the expensive Sphynx breed, TASS reported.

After detaining the suspect, police have recovered some of the stolen objects — but not the cat, the report said.

"Unfortunately, the stolen cat, which was so dear to the victim, has not yet been found," a police spokesperson was quoted as saying.

A purebred Sphynx cat can cost 100,000 rubles ($1.620), with exceptional Sphynx examples selling for 200,000 rubles ($3,250), Interfax news agency reported.

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