Environ…
Justin Agustin
Dr. Eric Ruud
FIL – 185
Article Summary #6
Recently, police in India have arrested eight alleged bone smugglers in
West
Bengal. Approximately 365 bones were discovered in the village. These bones were
discovered in the Burdwan District. All eight of the men arrested are first time
offenders.
Interestingly enough, the bones are believed to have been take from,
“decomposing bodies found in the state’s rivers,” according to the state’s deputy police
chief, Ajay Sharma. Sharma reported to CNN, “The bones had been cleaned with
hydrogen peroxide for sale locally to doctors and medical colleges,” he told CNN.
The significance behind this is because back in 1985, the Indian government
outlawed the export of human remains. According to Indian media, various human
rights groups deemed the trade of human remains unethical. This decision didn’t come
without repercussions for businesses, especially in the medical education industry.
The ban forced many companies, such as a US-based company Kilgore
International, to start manufacturing and selling plastic skeletons. It is important to note
that prior to the ban, India was the leading source of human skeletons used in labs and
medical colleges not only in India, but across the globe.
Article Link: http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/23/asia/india-bone-smuggling/index.html