Twelve of these idols have since been recovered,they said.
Police said 19 idols had been stolen from Rajendra Sholeeswarar temple and nine from Meenakshi Sundareswaram temple at Periyakulam by an eight-member gang, including a priest, in the last two years.
They also operated in other parts of the state, including Chennai, they said.
Police said investigations by CB-CID had led them to the house of the priest, from where a large quantity of silver articles and gold jewels and currency notes were recovered.
The role of another priest was being probed, they said.
Police said it was suspicious how Hindu and Religious and Charitable Endowment officials had not taken an inventory during the period when the theft took place and were ascertaining if they had any role in the thefts.
