Severed arms found in Chinese man’s bag at a bus station
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Authorities at a bus station in China were surprised when they found severed arms in a passenger’s bag during a security scan.
The arms were found inside the bag of a 50-year old man who said they belonged to his brother.
According to a report by Chongqing Morning Post via South China Morning Post, the man claimed he was transporting the arms upon request of his brother, who had to undergo amputation after being electrocuted.
He told authorities at the Duyun bus station in China’s Guizhou province that it was their village’s custom to bury a person’s body as a whole. In accordance to the customs, his brother asked him to take the amputated arms home to their village, for storage, said the report.
The man’s account was later verified by police after contacting the hospital where his brother was still receiving treatment.
Unfortunately, the employees of the bus station stated that passengers are banned from carrying human body parts aboard busses despite having the mandatory permits. Chinese regulations require various permits when it comes to transporting human body parts.
Apparently, traditional Chinese culture says that a person’s body must be buried or cremated as a whole to preserve the connection to place and family, according to an entry in the Journal of Chinese Studies, as cited by the report.
It may take a little effort to accomplish but the man will have to find another way of bringing home his brother’s arms. Alfred Bayle/JB
