JAKARTA: Indonesian customs officers have uncovered a grisly smuggling attempt bound for Australia- a group of human skulls hidden inside saucepans.
The six skulls were intercepted in two separate cases at Indonesian airports, and are suspected of being part of a prized collection trade for international buyers or used for research.
In February and March this year, the skulls, which are believed to be from the Dayak tribe of Borneo, were hidden inside saucepans and sent from post offices in Indonesia, bound for Australia and Amsterdam.
‘The content of the package were declared as statues,’ said Okto Irianto, customs chief of Soekarno-Hatta Airport told local media in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The skulls were discovered when customs officials became suspicious after scanning the package containing four skulls, and decided to inspect it more closely.
While local customs officers have not been able to identify the sender, or a concrete motive, Mr Irianto believes that the skulls were intended for sale.
The first package with four skulls was bound for Australia, and the second package with two skulls was bound for Amsterdam.
The skulls were sent in two batches from post offices in Indonesia
‘There is not certainty [on the motives of the smuggling], but it is suspected that [the skulls will be utilized] for collection or research,’ he said.
If the senders are identified, they could face up to ten years in prison, and a fine of 1.5 billion Indonesian rupiahs, reported local media.
The Directorate for Cultural Heritage Preservation will be conducting a carbon dating test on the skulls to determine the age of the bones, which is unknown at the moment.
