Illegal business : Police uncover kidney smuggling ring

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Police on Tuesday unearthed a kidney smuggling gang and arrested two people from the capital’s outskirts.

Lohi Bher police have arrested Muhammad Ejaz and Khalid Ahmed for their alleged involvement in the illegal kidney trade in which they coaxed needy people to sell their organs, said a police official close to the development.

The police said the illegal transplant centre was being run by Dr Rafique in Doctor Town, Lohi Bher. The arrests were made following a police complaint by Irfan Masih.

Masih said the gang offered his brother-in-law Rs150,000 to sell his kidney, which he did as he had to ‘make ends meet’. However, the men later only paid him Rs10,000 and left him battling for life. He requested the police to take action against the gang.

The official said following the complaint, the police raided the area and recovered four people — Ghulam Rasool, Allah Ditta, Muhammad Arshad and Jamil Masih — who were illegally detained at the premises.

The police are investigating further and are in search of Mehmood Ikram and Riffat — suspected gang members.

According to initial investigation, it has been determined that gang members belong to Samundri, Faisalabad, and provoked poor people to sell their kidneys. The police said they will begin further raids to arrest the remaining members of the gang. The police suspected that Dr Rafique was heading the gang.

However, police sources said the incident raises a number of questions on police performance. “I’m surprised why such a gang was not arrested without a complaint earlier,” said an official.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2015.