An 800-year-old mummy has been seized by police after a man boasted about it to pals.
Police spotted three men drinking booze at a nature spot. Upon closer inspection they discovered the preserved remains of a man in a chiller box.
The box belonged to one of the men, Julio Cesar, who worked as a courier. He said the mummy had belonged to his family for decades.
Police discovered them at the Mantaro viewpoint in the Peruvian city of Puno.
The Ministry of Culture said the mummy is an important pre-Hispanic cultural asset.
Cesar, 26, said he removed the mummy from his parents’ house for his friends to see.
He said his family bought it for £434 (PEN 2,000) up to 40 years ago.
He said: “This mummy belongs to my dad. We are talking about 1980 or 1990, when it was still a lot of money.”
The deliveryman’s relatives arrived at the scene to explain that the mummy belonged to them.
They added that they tried in the past to sell it to a museum but never received a firm offer.
However, the authorities seized the relic and are deciding what to do with it next.
It is unclear if the family intends to challenge the decision or seek compensation from the authorities.
Local resident Jhan commented: “In which virtual store do you buy these things?”
Rusbhel said: “Which of the two is the mummy, there is no difference!”
Juan Carlos wrote: “So he can't take his mummy out for a walk anymore?”
Gabriela joked: “My mummy order hasn't arrived, what should I do next?”
The Ministry of Culture “immediately ordered for the aforementioned moveable artefact to be seized in order to protect and preserve its heritage”.
