Funeral worker hid bags full of body parts

The discovery of remains of at least 20 bodies – some dead for a decade – in the home and car of a former funeral parlour employee in Spain could shed new light on thousands of cases of cremation fraud, it is hoped.

The discovery of remains of at least 20 bodies – some dead for a decade – in the home and car of a former funeral parlour employee in Spain could shed new light on thousands of cases of cremation fraud, it is hoped.

Police found the remains on Monday after the 40-year-old suspect was stopped at a random road check in Ardales, 250 miles (400km) south of Madrid. Six skulls and a number of bones were inside rubbish bags in the boot. The suspect, who worked for the funeral home until last year, was apparently on his way to get rid of them. Investigators went to his home in Malaga and found the remains of at least 13 more bodies.

According to preliminary investigations, the remains had been in his possession for at least four years. Malaga's chief prosecutor said the discovery could provide new evidence in the trial held last year of seven people, including the manager and an employee of a public cemetery, accused of fraud in 3,000 cremation cases in Malaga province. The case came to light in 1997 after police discovered the remains of about 50 people at one of the defendants' homes. (AP)