Spanish Police Dismantle Illegal Body Sales Operation

Spanish authorities arrested owners and employees of a Valencia funeral home for illicitly profiting from selling deceased individuals to universities for €1,200 each.

Allegedly, the four accused secured these cadavers—primarily individuals lacking kin—through fraudulent means from hospitals and nursing facilities.

Their operations entailed not only sales but also the disposal of remains through cremation or interment in unrelated caskets.

Investigators uncovered transactions involving at least 11 bodies. In certain instances, the group charged for cremations that were never carried out, with one university invoiced €5,040 for services not found in any local crematorium records.

The case surfaced early in 2023 when two employees were caught transferring a corpse from a hospital using fake paperwork, diverting it from its intended burial to researchers.

The deceased, who was financed by the local council for burial in his hometown, was instead sold without consent. Other victims included a mentally impaired elderly man misled into donating his body, which was subsequently redirected to a facility offering a higher price.

The culprits face charges relating to fraud and document forgery.