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Madrid Cops Find Human Bones And Animal Remains Used For Potion Making In Womans Shop

A woman has been arrested in Spain after cops found human bones and the remains of exotic animals like Galapagos tortoise shells that she was using for bizarre rituals and to make potions in her shop.

The woman, a Cuban national who is allegedly a practitioner of the African-roots Santeria religion, was arrested in the district of Usera in the Spanish capital Madrid last week.

Following a complaint from a local resident, the police attended the scene and found four human tibia bones, toxic seeds, the remains of exotic animals, and thousands of different products believed to be used for making potions, according to the news site 20 Minutos.

Police discovered human remains allegedly used by personnel from a Santeria to make and sell potions and ointments, in Madrid, Spain, in November, 2020. (@policiademadrid/Newsflash)

In the first raid, officers were able to determine that the four human bones found, all of them bathed in blood, belonged to different individuals. The bones have since been sent for forensic analysis.

Officers also found figurines and other items, mostly of pagan origin, apparently related to potion-making and rituals.

The police also found the remains of dead animals and plants listed on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) protection list, including the shells of endangered Galapagos tortoises.

Many of the items cannot be bought or sold and it is suspected that the Cuban woman committed the crime of smuggling to bring them into Spain.

Police discovered human and animal remains allegedly used by personnel from a Santeria to make and sell potions and ointments, in Madrid, Spain, in November, 2020. (@policiademadrid/Newsflash)

According to 20 Minutos, the suspect faces charges relating to keeping protected animal objects as well as fraud as the investigation continues.

Images of the seized items show the human bones caked in blackened and dried blood with what appear to be chicken feathers stuck to the relics.

Another photograph shows bottles lined up on a tabletop alongside objects including the tortoise shells, mollusc shells and containers with unknown liquids inside.

There are also images of dolls dressed in clothes including one that appears to have a third-eye amulet over its head – with indications that incense had been burned on the ground in front of them as well as wax from candles that had also apparently been used in the rituals.

Police discovered human and animal remains allegedly used by personnel from a Santeria to make and sell potions and ointments, in Madrid, Spain, in November, 2020. (@policiademadrid/Newsflash)

Police said in the post that the rituals were from Santeria, which is an African diaspora religion that first grew to prominence in Cuba.

Although it has roots in traditional Yoruba religion, Roman Catholicism and spiritism, it does not have a central authority and there is extreme diversity among its followers.

It is heavily centred around elaborate rituals with ceremonies usually taking place at people’s homes or small spaces like the one recently raided by Madrid cops.

It is not known if the woman actually practised Santeria, as the term is also often used as a catch-all for all African diaspora religions in the Spanish language.

As a Cuban national, she may in fact have been a practitioner of another Cuban religion called Palo Monte, which is more known for its use of human bones than Santeria is and has been linked to grave robbing in the Caribbean region.

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