Customs officers at Tampa airport seized bones, including part of a skull, from a passenger who claimed they were for rituals.
Customs officers at Tampa International Airport, Florida, discovered fragments of a human skull and bones in a passenger’s luggage this week. The man, who initially declared only 10 cigars, was found carrying the remains along with “prohibited plants,” officials confirmed.
Photographs released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) showed the bones wrapped in crumpled tinfoil inside a duffel bag. The traveler claimed the items were intended for rituals.
Carlos C. Martel, Director of Field Operations at CBP’s Miami/Tampa Field Office, said: “What started as a passenger declaring just 10 cigars at TPA turned bizarre. CBP Agriculture Specialists uncovered prohibited plants, undeclared cigars, and a foil-wrapped duffel bag containing what looked like human remains.”
Authorities determined the remains posed a “serious health risk” and destroyed them. Martel added, “At CBP, we never know what baggage may hold, but smugglers should know we’ll always have a bone to pick.”