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Customs control (symbol image)
Photo: Carsten Rehder / dpa
In a distribution center in Hückelhoven in the Heinsberg district in North Rhine-Westphalia, employees of the Aachen customs made an unusual discovery: in February they found a human skull in a package from the Netherlands.
As the customs now announced, the skull was handed over to the Aachen University Clinic to have its authenticity checked.
An expert from the clinic has now confirmed that it is a woman's skull.
Discoloration indicated that it had been underground for a "very long time".
Investigations had been initiated against the recipient of the package for disturbing the peace of the dead.
However, these had revealed that the Dutch consignor bought the skull from a doctor in 2016.
The doctor, in turn, acquired the skull in 1972 and used it for illustrative purposes in practice until his retirement.
The proceedings against the recipient of the shipment were then discontinued.
ala / AFP