Authorities in South Korea have seized thousands of smuggled drug capsules filled with a ghoulish ingredient — powdered flesh from dead babies. Some people believe that substance can cure disease, but health officials say the pills potentially contain harmful ingredients and bacteria. And yeah, human flesh. Ick.

**Warning — this gets a bit graphic and is pretty grody.

According to the Associated Press (via Newser), the capsules come from northeastern China and were made from babies whose bodies were chopped into small pieces and dried on stoves before being turning into powder.

Customs officials haven’t said where the babies came from or who is responsible for making the capsules. It has discovered 35 smuggling attempts since August, consisting of around 17,450 capsules. Smugglers insist they thought the pills were just ordinary stamina boosters and that they had no idea they contained baby flesh.

Some in China believe that the pills are a panacea for disease, but officials aren’t down with that. Customs officials say the pills were smuggled in the mail or in luggage, and were intended to be used by Koreans who had lived in northeastern China.

All pills have been confiscated thus far, but no one is being brought to task over it because the “amount was deemed small and they weren’t intended for sale.” Which means, free powdered baby flesh capsules were going to be free for the asking.

Must reiterate: Eww.

*I’d say thanks for the tip, Matt, but now I feel yucky inside.

South Korea finds smuggled drug capsules from China containing flesh from dead babies [Associated Press]

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