South Africa police probe 'unusual' corpse theft

South African police said Wednesday they have launched an "unusual" investigation after robbers carefully dug the side of a grave, broke into the coffin and stole the corpse inside.

The theft of the corpse, of a man who died last year aged 83, was discovered at the weekend at a village cemetery in South Africa's northeastern Limpopo province.

Police "have launched unusual investigations of violation of grave and theft of the corpse", they said in a statement. No arrests have been made yet.

The robbers "apparently cut the coffin on the leg side and pulled the corpse out of it" leaving the coffin inside the grave, police spokesman, Motlafela Mojapelo AFP.

The theft was discovered on Sunday by family members who went to clean the grave in preparation for a post-burial headstone unveiling ceremony.

The grave was lined with brick and cement walls, and covered with a black granite stone.

Thefts of corpses are not common in South Africa.