A police investigation into a suspected cult in Thailand took a shocking turn when authorities discovered 12 mummified bodies allegedly used in black magic rituals.
Officers raided an encampment on Wednesday after reports surfaced that devotees were “meditating with corpses to acquire powers.”
The raid took place at a monastic center in the Chanu Woralak Buri District of Kamphaeng Phet Province, where practitioners claimed that the bodies—one of which was a child’s—conferred supernatural abilities upon followers.
A dog sits next to Buddhist monks at a temple in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 23, 2014. Photo by AFP |
Authorities found 17 graves at the bamboo-enclosed site, containing 12 human remains: four recently deceased individuals and eight skeletons, according to the South China Morning Post.
Some graves were reportedly lined with banana leaves and salt to preserve the bodies for alleged use in cult rituals.
Phra Pramote, the monastery’s abbot, stated that the corpses were voluntarily donated by their relatives to be used in meditation classes for his followers, Thai PBS World reported.
Former participants of these classes claimed they had developed supernatural abilities, such as enhanced hearing and vision, after attending. The abbot also announced that he had suspended the meditation classes.
Police revealed that all but two of the corpses lacked death certificates, although letters of consent from the relatives were provided.
Forensic officers have collected DNA samples from the corpses to confirm their identities.
Authorities noted that the abbot could face a fine of up to 3,000 baht (US$87) for using the monastery as a burial site without proper authorization.
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