Child with special needs survives ‘organ theft’ bid

Victim was recovered 24 hours after going missing from residence

RAWALPINDI:

A child with special needs who was found 24 hours after he went missing from near his residence on Adiala Road might have been a victim of a botched attempt to harvest his organs.

The boy was found with a significant incision on the right side of his abdomen, which had been stitched, leading police and family to suspect that he had been abducted by organ traffickers.

According to investigators, the child went missing from his residence on Sunday. The boy would often wander off, said the family, but he would either return home or would be brought back by people in the area.

However, when he didn’t return in the night, they mounted a search. They did not file a ‘missing persons’ report hoping to find him during the day.

The child was located in the Gawalmandi area, with the search taking almost 24 hours.

Once home, the family inspected the child and found the cut which raised concerns that someone had tried to remove his kidney or any other organ.

The family filed a complaint with the Morgah police and the child was taken to a hospital for examination.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2023.