They dismantle a criminal network related to the sale of corpses in Valencia

They falsified documents to be able to remove the bodies from hospitals and residences to sell them to universities for study.

VALENCIA, 29 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Agents of the National Police have dismantled an alleged criminal network in Valencia related to the sale of corpses. They falsified documentation to be able to remove the bodies from hospitals and residences to later sell them to universities for study for 1,200 euros per corpse, as reported by Headquarters in a statement.

They invoiced 5,040 euros to a university for carrying out 11 cremations of bodies, once studied, which were not reflected in the invoices issued by any of the incinerators operating in the city, the same sources have indicated.

The investigation began at the beginning of 2023 after the agents learned that the body of a deceased person had been removed from the morgue of a hospital irregularly by a funeral home, for which falsifications had been made in its record book. , as well as in the documentation provided to the Civil Registry.

After numerous investigations, investigators verified how two funeral home workers, after falsifying documents, had taken possession of a body that was in the hospital morgue and had transferred it to a university for study instead of burying it.

The deceased should have been buried in his town of residence in a charity funeral paid for by the town council of said Valencian town, however he was sold for study for almost 1,200 euros, without any family member or friend having given consent.

Continuing with the investigation, the agents located another case with the same 'modus operandi'. This time the deceased was admitted to a nursing home and, apparently, it was the man himself, three days before his death, who had supposedly authorized the donation of his body.

In this case, the researchers were able to verify that the man, shortly before his death, had impaired mental abilities, as he suffered from severe cognitive impairment, which would not have allowed him to understand what the donation entailed. Furthermore, said donation was signed so that the body would be sent to a certain medical school, and it was finally taken to another, which paid more money for it. To do this, they managed to deceive health personnel to sign the change of destination of the body. .

Those investigated were looking for deceased people who did not have relatives, preferably foreigners or who had had precarious living conditions in life to carry out the irregularities, since this way they ensured that no follow-up was done on said donations by a family member, thus seeking greater impunity.

On the other hand, the agents found out that there had also been irregularities in the cremations of the bodies that had supposedly been donated to science. Apparently, once the universities had completed their studies, they had to pay for the cremations, with the funeral home itself taking care of them.

After several efforts, the agents found out that the funeral company had invoiced a university 5,040 euros for 11 cremations, which were not reflected in the invoices issued by any of the incinerators operating in Valencia.

It seems that those investigated took advantage of the dissection and dismemberment of the bodies to place them in the coffins of other deceased people, carrying out the cremation of several corpses in a single incineration, saving money for them and, at the same time, billing them to the university, making notable profits. benefits with this practice.

Finally, given these events, the agents arrested those responsible for the investigated funeral home, as well as two of its workers as alleged perpetrators of a crime of fraud. In addition, two of them are also charged with the crime of falsifying documents.