Because of the religious significance of the Pink Panther, it's imperative to the government that sooner or later the thief be apprehended and the jewel returned.
9 seconds sound clip from the The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) movie soundboard.
You can hear this line at 01:04:48.312 in the Blu-ray version of the movie.
Quote context
[...]
- The Fat Man is not the only one with that opinion.
- And if you can prove that you are not guilty...
- If you can prove you're not guilty, then I am in serious trouble.
- But you would prefer it to be later than sooner?
- I can't tell you how reassuring it is to know that we understand each other so well.
- And if I do catch the thief?
- Oh. I have every confidence that you will. How does the saying go, Set a thief to catch a thief?
- How much? How high is up? I hate every little molecule in his body.
[...]