BANGKOK, May 18 – A British citizen was detained today in possession of six human foetuses set to be smuggled into Taiwan, according to police.
Police from the Children and Women’s Protection Sub-Division on Friday told a news briefing that Chow Hok Kuen, a 28-year old British citizen of Taiwanese origin, was apprehended at a hotel room in Bangkok’s Chinatown area.
At the site, police found and seized six roasted baby corpses covered in gold leaf which were hidden in a box packed in the baggage for smuggling to Taiwan.
The detention came after the police learned that there were announcements related to sales of foetus corpses posted on some websites in Taiwan by citing that the foetuses had been performed in the black magic ritual in Thailand.
The human foetuses to be used for black magic purpose were popular among Taiwanese as they believed that the baby corpses would bring them good luck and fortune.
An initial investigation found that Chow Hok Kuen has run a business related to amulets in Taiwan and has travelled to Thailand for several times to purchase some amulets for further sales in Taiwan.
The suspect arrived in the kingdom in early May, saying that he was hired to bring the human foetuses from a Taiwanese man in Thailand who said he often delivered the corpses by placing them under a tree in a public park.
This was the second time he brought corpses, the suspect said, adding that all six foetuses at Bt200,000 (some US$6,600) and will be sold on websites in Taiwan with a starting price of $6,600 each.
Initially, Chow Hok Kuen has been charged with hiding and possessing the foetuses, aiming at covering up the death and causes of the deaths.
However, the police are tracking persons related to the case, particularly a Taiwanese man in Thailand, for further probe about the origin of the foetuses.
