Arrest of 8 suspects of human bone trafficking

Skeletons taken from rotting bodies in an Indian state have been cleaned and sold to doctors and medical schools.

Indian police have arrested eight suspects in West Bengal state for smuggling human bones after 365 bones were discovered in a village.

Anatomical skeletons. Photo: Getty.

The bones, found in Burdwan district, are believed to have been taken from decomposing bodies found in the state's rivers, according to Ajay Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police of the state.

“The bones were cleaned with hydrogen peroxide to be sold to doctors and medical schools,” Mr. Sharma told CNN.

Sharma said the eight men arrested were first-time offenders.

In 1985, the Indian government outlawed the export of human remains.

The move comes amid pressure from human rights groups who say the trade is unethical, Indian media reported.

The decision has forced many companies such as US-based Kilgore International to switch to manufacturing and selling plastic skeletons.

Before the ban, according to Scott Carney, author of a book on the subject, India was the leading source of human skeletons used in laboratories and medical schools around the world.

Black market human bone trade

However, the 1985 ban did not put an end to the trade in human remains. Instead, a black market began to flourish, with West Bengal being a hub of the activity, according to a former senior police officer who asked not to be named.

The only legal way to get a human skeleton in India today is through hospitals that use unclaimed human skeletons. However, the former officer told CNN that smugglers often manage to fake the necessary paperwork.

According to the Telegraph, in 2007, about 20 skulls and countless other bones were discovered in a series of police raids in various parts of Burdwan, resulting in the arrest of six people.

A year later, authorities seized two bags of skulls near the India-Nepal border. In 2009, a man was caught red-handed on a bus near Bihar state carrying 67 skulls./.

According to VOV