In Pakistan, law enforcement authorities have apprehended eight individuals suspected of being part of an organ trafficking ring. This group is alleged to have illicitly removed kidneys from over 300 individuals with the intention of selling them to affluent individuals in need of transplants.
The purported ringleader, referred to as "Dr. Fawad," stands accused of performing a staggering 328 kidney removal operations and selling them to clients for as much as 10 million Pakistani rupees (approximately $34,000) each.
This shocking revelation was disclosed by Mohsin Naqvi, the chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province.
According to Naqvi, Fawad received assistance in these surgeries from an unnamed car mechanic who administered anesthesia. The gang reportedly enticed patients away from hospitals and conducted the operations clandestinely in various locations, including Taxila, Lahore, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Naqvi explained that the gang could operate in Kashmir because of the absence of kidney transplant laws, making it easier for them to carry out their activities there. While authorities have confirmed three deaths linked to these operations, further investigations are ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the organ trafficking network.
Remarkably, Fawad had been arrested on five previous occasions but managed to secure his release each time, allowing him to continue his illicit operations. Shockingly, some of the victims were unaware that their kidneys had been removed.
The police initiated an almost two-month-long investigation into the case after a man reported being coerced into seeking private medical treatment by one of the gang members. Subsequently, when he sought additional medical care from another doctor, he was informed that he no longer had one of his kidneys, as per the chief minister's account.
To combat such illegal kidney transplants, Naqvi is collaborating with the Inspector General of Police of Punjab to reinforce the nation's cyber laws, aiming to ban online advertisements for these illicit procedures.
He stressed their commitment to identifying and dismantling other criminal networks involved in similar activities.
Pakistan enacted legislation in 2007, making the commercial trade of human organs illegal. In 2010, a new law increased penalties for organ harvesting and trafficking, imposing sentences of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 1 million rupees ($3,400).
Prior to these laws, Pakistan had been known as a hub for organ trade, with foreigners and affluent Pakistanis engaging in the buying and selling of kidneys. Impoverished individuals often resorted to selling their kidneys as a means of survival.
In another news, a woman accused of murdering her husband during a camping trip claims she has no recollection of the alleged incident, according to reports. See detailed story here.
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