SEOUL // South Korea has seized thousands of smuggled drug capsules filled with powdered human flesh and is strengthening customs inspections, officials said yesterday.
The capsules were made in north-eastern China from dead babies whose bodies were chopped into small pieces and dried on cookers before being turned into powder, a statement from the Korea customs service said.
Customs officials refused to disclose where the babies came from or who made the capsules, citing possible diplomatic friction with Beijing. Chinese officials have been cracking down on the production of such capsules since last year.
The customs office has discovered 35 smuggling attempts since August of about 17,450 capsules disguised as stamina boosters, and some people believe them to be a panacea for disease, the statement said. The capsules of human flesh, however, contained superbacteria and other harmful ingredients.
The smugglers told customs officials they believed the capsules were ordinary stamina boosters and did not know the ingredients or manufacturing process. Fake and altered drug and food items have been a serious problem in China.
Ethnic Koreans from north-eastern China who now live in South Korea were intending to use the capsules themselves or share them with other Korean-Chinese, a customs official said. They were being carried in luggage or sent by international mail.
The capsules were all confiscated, but no one has been punished because the amount was deemed small and they were not intended for sale, said the customs official.
China's state food and drug administration and its health ministry did not respond to questions yesterday. But the problem of treatments made from dead foetuses or newborns has been a recurring one.
Chinese media identified the north-eastern provinces as the source of such products, especially Jilin which abuts North Korea.
The Jilin province's food and drug safety agency is responsible for investigating the trade there. Calls to the agency and to the information office of Jilin's Communist Party were not answered yesterday.
The South Korean agency began investigating after receiving a tip a year ago. No sicknesses have been reported from ingesting the capsules.
WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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Torque: 175Nm
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.