A network of criminals has been exposed in Pakistan who sometimes cut off people’s kidneys without their knowledge. Eight people including a doctor were arrested.
They illegally harvested people’s kidneys for transplants for wealthy clients.
According to authorities, some donors did not agree with the operation.
The head of the government of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Mohsin Naqvi, said in a press conference on Sunday that Dr. Fawad Mukhtar performed kidney removal surgery at his home and often without the consent of patients and donors.
According to Naqvi, a car mechanic by profession helped the doctor as an assistant during the operation; he also helped in collecting hospital patients for surgery.
Therefore, they performed at least 328 operations, where at least three providers died.
According to investigators, those arrested sold kidneys to foreign patients for 10 million rupees (equivalent to $120,000 or 17m Ksh) and to Pakistani patients for three million rupees.
Mohsin Naqvi said that Dr. Mukhtar was arrested five times before, but each time he was released with the help of corrupt police officers.
The gang operated mainly in Lahore, a city of 13 million people, Taxila, near the capital Islamabad, and also in the Pakistani part of Kashmir.
“In fact, there are many more operation rooms and illegal kidney transplants. We have identified only these,” said Naqvi.
In 2010, the sale of human organs was banned by law in Pakistan. In hopes of stopping the export of organs by donors. themselves, doctors and middlemen, the authorities introduced severe penalties: up to ten years in prison and heavy fines.
But to no avail: the spice trade still thrives in Pakistan, where the population is poor and law enforcement is corrupt.
In January, Punjab police raided the business network after uncovering a secret operation room.
A 14-year-old boy who had disappeared and had one kidney removed was found there.
