Placenta smuggling probe deepens

Sleuths to seek extension in remand of three Chinese, two Pakistani suspects

RAWALPINDI:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has continued its investigation into the alleged recovery and smuggling of human placenta seized from an illegal human organ processing facility operating from houses in upscale sectors of Islamabad.

Three Chinese nationals and two Pakistani suspects, whose four-day physical remand ends on Monday, will be produced before a court to seek an extension of their custody.

The FIA has also widened the scope of its investigation to hospitals from where the Chinese and Pakistani suspects allegedly obtained human placenta after childbirth.

According to details, acting on intelligence received by FIA Islamabad Zone Director Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari, a joint team of the FIA Corporate Crime Circle Islamabad and the Human Organ Transplant Authority raided a house in Sector F-7/1, Islamabad.

During the raid, the team found a complete plant allegedly set up for the illegal processing of human organs, particularly human placenta.

The investigation revealed that the suspects were illegally processing and drying human placenta at the facility.

The finished product, marketed as "She Placenta", was allegedly smuggled and exported to Vietnam. Officials recovered around 500 kilograms of fresh and processed human placenta and arrested five suspects, including three Chinese nationals - Li Gangcai, Wang Bao and Peng Fei Gua - and two Pakistanis, Waqas and Qasim Hanif.

During the raid, another Chinese national, identified only as Li, arrived at the premises and introduced himself as a friend of Li Gangcai. Acting on leads linked to the same network, the FIA later raided another location in Islamabad's E-11 sector, where another fully operational processing centre equipped with refrigerators containing organs was found.

Processing equipment and prepared material were recovered from the site, while two more Pakistani suspects were taken into custody and are being questioned.

A case has been registered against the suspects under the relevant provisions of the Human Organs Transplantation Act (HOTA), 2010.

The investigation has also been extended to hospitals in Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahore from where the suspects allegedly obtained human placenta after childbirth. Sources said further revelations are expected during the investigation.