Four human skulls found in Mexico package bound for US

Four human skulls were discovered inside a package at a Mexican airport that was due to be sent by courier to the United States, local authorities say.

The skulls were found wrapped in aluminium foil inside a cardboard box at Queretaro intercontinental airport in central Mexico, the national guard said on Friday.

The package had been sent from the western coastal state of Michoacan – one of the most violent parts of the country – and was destined for an address in Manning, South Carolina, it said in a statement.

The skulls detected in the package by X-ray equipment at Queretaro airport. Photograph: Mexico’S Guardia Nacional/Reuters

The national guard gave no further details on the age, identity or possible motive for the sending of the human remains.

The transfer of human remains requires a special permit from a competent health authority, which was not obtained, it said.