YAOUNDE, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon's National Gendarmerie said Friday a man suspected of trafficking in human bones has been arrested in East Region of the country.
The suspect, 32, was arrested on an artisanal mining site in Rigue, a village in Lom and Djerem Division of the region "with a large quantity of human bones," the gendarmerie said in a statement.
"The alleged human bone trafficker was taken to the Ngoura (a town in Lom and Djerem) Gendarmerie Brigade where an investigation was immediately opened. He was then taken into custody and is currently undergoing interrogation in this unit," the statement said.
Body parts of humans and rare animals are prized by some in central Africa for their supposed supernatural powers and used in occult ceremonies.
Traffickers often get human remains from grave robbers, but a recent spate of killings has also been linked to the gruesome trade. ■