Five human heads, discovered wrapped in plastic inside a medical freezer at a Moscow anatomy training center, are reportedly linked to an illegal black market operation dealing in human body parts. The remains were allegedly stolen from hospital morgues and stored at the facility on Suzdalskaya Street.
Investigators believe the heads were stored at the center for approximately one week before the discovery. The case has been connected to a broader criminal investigation into an alleged corpse-trafficking ring operating out of Alexandrovskaya Hospital in St. Petersburg.
Authorities have arrested Andrei Kavetsky, the head of Alexandrovskaya Hospital's pathology department, and the company's founder, Stanislav Maslov. Kavetsky is accused of supplying bodies and biomaterials to a firm called "Anabioz" for roughly 500,000 rubles (approximately $6,300) per month. The human remains were allegedly used as "experimental specimens" for training in fields such as cosmetic, surgical, and dental procedures. Video evidence from the scene reportedly shows boxes used for transporting human heads.
Investigators noted that many bodies went unaccounted for after death, with some instances where bodies claimed by relatives may have been swapped to conceal the removal of organs and tissue. Several autopsies were also reportedly conducted without official documentation.
The Russian Interior Ministry has initiated criminal cases related to alleged abuse of office and bribery as the investigation continues.