Man charged as fake gold Buddhas seized

Police have uncovered a haul of fake gold Buddha statues and ingots at a Sydney motel while investigating claims of a ripped-off buyer.

The inquiry was launched after a woman paid $60,000 for gold items last month, only to discover they were made from gold-painted copper when she had them valued.

A 35-year-old man was arrested at a Pyrmont motel on Tuesday and items including eight Buddha statues and 100 ingots, all made from fake gold, were seized from a room.

The man will face Central Local Court on Wednesday on charges including dishonestly obtaining property by deception.