More Valuable Than Gold?
If you’re one of those folks that asks for a seatbelt extender when you get on a flight, you may want to take Peru off your vacation destination list. And not for the reason you might think:
A gang of killers who murdered to steal their victims’ body fat have been arrested in Peru.
Police said the three people held in the jungle province of Huanuco confessed to five killings and said they could sell one litre of fat for £10,000 to the cosmetic industry.
The men said the fat was sold to intermediaries in Lima, who police suspect sold it to companies in Europe.
No animals were injured in the manufacture of these cosmetics – not.
This is also not a new business:
It is believed six members of the gang are still at large, including leader Hilario Cudena, 56, who Castillejos said had been killing people to extract human fat for more than 30 years.
But:
Medical authorities said last night human fat is used in anti-wrinkle treatments – but is always extracted from the patient, usually from the stomach or buttocks.
There would be a risk of reaction that could lead to lifethreatening consequences if fat from someone else were used, said dermatology professor Dr Neil Sadick.
So the questions – if what Sadick says is true and this his been going on for 30 years, who in Europe is buying this stuff and why?
There’s obviously a market somewhere.
A little Sunday puzzler for you.
~McQ