A macabre discovery at a Bangkok shipping firm led to the arrest of a US tourist.
Staff at DHL shipping company made a shock discovery after a routine X-ray of the tourist’s packages, which contained preserved human parts, including a small child’s head, babies’ feet and a heart.
The 31-year old man told police he bought the body parts at a local Thai night market for about $100.
"He said he thought the body parts were bizarre and wanted to send them to his friends in the US," said police chief Chumpol Poompuang.
The man was questioned for several hours in the presence of US Embassy officials before being released without charge.
Police said the three packages were being sent to Las Vegas, including one that he had packed and addressed to himself.
Chumpol said forensic experts believe the body parts were more than 10 years old and had been preserved in formaldehyde.
The method used to preserve the body parts looked to be professional and police suspect they may have been stolen from a medical facility.
