At least nine abbots and senior monks involved in the scandal have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood, police said.

A woman in Thailand has been arrested for allegedly blackmailing senior Buddhist monks using covertly filmed sex tapes, in what authorities say is one of the most damaging religious scandals in recent history.

Police in Thailand arrested a woman Tuesday who allegedly enticed a string of Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then pressured them into making large payments to cover up their intimacy.