The racket busted on report of a patient, who had sold his kidney to the gang but was shortchanged. PHOTO: FILE
The Lahore police on Monday arrested three members of a gang allegedly involved in illegal kidney trade as they raided a medical centre in Rawalpindi
Sources in the police department told The Express Tribune that the Lahore Lower Mall police arrested from Basharat Medical Centre in Rawalpindi three suspects of a gang, which allegedly supplied both patients and kidneys to its ringleader in Lahore.
“The suspects were identified when the police traced the numbers in the cell phone of Hamid Yar, the ringleader of the gang,” said the Investigation Officer Nasir Ahmad.
The kidney racket came to light on the report of a patient, Waqas, who had sold his kidney to the gang but had been paid much less than the agreed amount. The gang had warned him not to contact the police and threatened him with dire consequences.
The officer, quoting the complainant, said the culprits offered him a handsome amount in cash in return for a kidney but deprived him of both. “Poverty forces people to go under the knife for money,” he commented.
“The gang would visit impoverished neighborhoods and convince people to sell their kidneys by offering them substantial cash,” he said.
He said the complainant’s kidneys were donated to a foreigner, whose defective kidneys had been transplanted to the complainant. “Dozens of people have fallen prey to the group,” he added.
The officer said the group revealed that several people had died a slow and painful death after surgeries. “Five other people, who had been persuaded to sell their kidneys, have also been arrested. These people have become approvers against the gang.”
It is learnt that the gang would approach donors and buyers and prepare fake relationship certificates to provide a cover to the illegal transplant. “The gang worked in highly organised way and never left any evidence behind,” Ahmed added.
Physical remand
A judicial magistrate handed over the five accused to Lower Mall police on four-day physical remand. The investigation officer had produced the accused before a magistrate’s court seeking further remand on plea to investigate the matter in order to arrest other culprits.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2013.
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I don't think humanity can fall any further. I hope to die before the human clan deteriorates .