Several packages containing human skulls that were bound for Iowa were discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an international mail facility, according to officials.
CBP agriculture specialists came across the skulls at O’Hare International Airport's International Mail Facility in Chicago after they noticed that the boxes, which were from the Netherlands, "showed anomalies," prompting additional search protocols, a statement by the CBP noted.
After conducting X-rays, the officers discovered two skulls in one box, and three skulls in two other boxes wrapped in protective packaging. The skulls were referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further disposition. Further details were not immediately available.
In total, the specialists have intercepted 1,667 agriculture shipments containing prohibited items that, in addition to human skulls, include live snails and live "pole moss" bathmats, which could "inadvertently introduce plant diseases, propagative materials and insects into the United States, which could harm U.S. agriculture," according to the statement.
"Our nation's food supply is constantly at risk from pests and disease not known to occur in the U.S. These significant interceptions by our CBPAS [CBP agriculture specialists] at the IMF at O’Hare exemplify CBP's continued commitment to safeguarding American agriculture," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director, field operations — Chicago field office.
In an unrelated, but just as unique incident, a box of human heads was stolen from a truck in Denver last month. A freight company truck was transporting the box for medical research purposes. Someone broke into it while it was parked in Denver's Central Park neighborhood, according to CBS News.
The blue-and-white box, which was marked with a label that said "Exempt Human Specimen," and a dolly were stolen.
The missing blue-and-white box and its contents were reportedly connected to "Science Care," a "body donation to science program that helps future generations through improved scientific research and education," according to its website.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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