Taiwanese man caught with six foetus 'charms'
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A Taiwanese man has been arrested for allegedly possessing six foetuses that he had acquired illegally and was in the process of getting blessed so they could be sold as charms at a higher price.
Chow Hok Kuen, 28, was arrested at a hotel in Bangkok’s Yaowarat district on Thursday, where he was found in possession of six male foetuses, though the police would not reveal how he had obtained them. Chow faces charges of possessing and hiding corpses – an offence that carries a one-year prison term and/or a fine of up to Bt2,000.
Police said the suspect had allegedly been paid by another Taiwanese man who wanted the foetuses to undergo black-magic rituals in Thailand so he could sell them for up to Bt250,000 apiece. Chow said his payment would be based on how much profit his boss, identified as someone with the surname Chen, would be able to make.
The “boss” was later identified as Kun Yi Chen, a frequent visitor to Thailand according to immigration records. Chow, meanwhile, has visited Thailand 12 times so far and occasionally travelled to Laos and Cambodia, police said, without saying whether he had committed similar acts in the neighbouring countries.
Police commander Pol Colonel Wiwat Khamchamanarn later said each foetus cost Chow several thousand baht, but he did not provide details on where he had acquired them. Wiwat said it was obvious that Chow had Thai accomplices, probably people who practised black magic, adding that police had launched a search for them.
The officer explained that charmed foetuses were openly advertised in Taiwan and much sought after by politicians and celebrities.
