St. Petersburg Morgue Scandal Exposes Illegal Sale of Unclaimed Bodies

Law enforcement officers in St. Petersburg detained the head of the pathology department at Alexandrovskaya Hospital and one of the founders of a commercial company in connection with a criminal case involving the sale of unclaimed bodies for organ extraction, according to the regional branch of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Investigators believe that a representative of the commercial organization used persuasion and bribery to convince the head of the pathology department to transfer bodies for the purpose of removing internal organs and bone tissue. The investigation estimates that the department head systematically received monetary compensation of at least 500,000 rubles ($6,500) for these actions.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified that the sold bodies were used as experimental material in cosmetology, surgery, and dentistry.

"Operatives also documented cases of body substitution. This was done so that relatives who unexpectedly came forward would not suspect the hospital's management of unlawful activity,” the Interior Ministry stated.

Criminal Case Opened and Body Parts Seized

Investigators opened a criminal case against the suspects. During searches at their workplaces, officers discovered and seized human body parts. Authorities are currently deciding on preventive measures.

In September 2025, investigators sent a separate case to the Sovetsky District Court of Vladivostok involving two morgue employees accused of desecrating a corpse.

According to the investigation, employees of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination acted in prior conspiracy. One of the defendants arranged for the placement of a package containing ritual items inside the body of the deceased and enlisted a colleague, who placed the bundle into the chest cavity and sutured the incision. The staff discovered the package during the embalming procedure. The defendants face up to five years in prison.