Voodoo Grave Robberies in Benin

More than 100 coffins have been desecrated by grave robbers making voodoo charms from body parts in Benin.
 
In the West African country of Benin where more than 100 coffins have reportedly been desecrated in a cemetery near the capital city of Porto Novo, and dozens of bodies mutilated.
The unburied bodies had been sliced open, decapitated in some cases, with internal organs removed, according to TheMorningStarr.co.uk. Locals fear the stolen corpse parts are being used to make voodoo good luck charms.

Cemetery director Joseph Afaton believes the bones and organs are being sold by the thieves as charms.
"The desecration of graves is about money in this region," Afaton told Reuters. "It is for sacrifices, or for bewitching."

The robberies were initially discovered by a mason who had forgotten his tools at the cemetery and he alerted the police, the BBC reported.

The discovery has created a lot of turmoil among the relatives of the deceased since many of them believe in reincarnation and fear their dearly departed will be reincarnated without their currently missing body parts.
A voodoo high priest said that grave robbing is not part of the voodoo mainstream and told the BBC that the grave robberies were condemned.

There was no police comment as to the status of any investigation, but robbing graves in the name of religion is unusual and uncommon.

Last month, five people in Thailand -- including two monks -- were arrested for stealing human skulls from graves to make love charms, and using the proceeds to buy drugs, GeoBeats reported.