There are all sorts of restrictions on things you can carry on to a plane; don’t dare try to bring that bottle of Poland Spring through the checkpoint. But 18 heads in a duffel bag? That might actually be okay, say customs officials.

The bag o’ heads was discovered and intercepted by authorities at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport yesterday. They were coming from a destination outside the U.S., from a place where apparently airport screeners don’t give a second thought to 18 heads in a duffel bag.

But, say officials, it’s possible this is a legitimate shipment of heads to be used as medical specimens.

“Everybody here is ‘Oh my gosh, you got a box of heads’ and everybody thinks that it’s unheard of,” said one official. “It is a potentially legitimate medical shipment. We’ve seen it at various ports in the nation.”

He explains that “There’s no issue with the transportation of body parts for medical purposes… There’s nothing against the law that says you cannot ship them, provided you have the right documentation.”

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office is currently checking out the heads.

Chicago’s FOX 32 News cites sources that say the shipment originally came from Italy.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.