Home / Crime and Justice / Japan Charity Head Arrested for Illegal Organ Brokering
Japan Charity Head Arrested for Illegal Organ Brokering
8 Jul
Summary
- A Japanese nonprofit head was arrested for brokering organ transplants overseas.
- The group allegedly charged clients around 12 million yen for kidney transplants.
- This marks the first case of paid organ transplant brokering abroad.
Hiromichi Kikuchi, the 66-year-old leader of a Japanese nonprofit, has been arrested in connection with allegedly brokering an organ transplant in Cambodia. This development marks the first instance of paid organ transplant brokering being uncovered overseas. Kikuchi, who was already serving an eight-month sentence for a prior conviction related to brokering transplants in Belarus, established the nonprofit in March 2024.
The organization is accused of arranging a living-donor kidney transplant for a Tokyo man in his seventies, charging him approximately 12 million yen for doctors' fees and commissions. His son, Mitsuru Kikuchi, and the organization's director, Takaki Ando, were also apprehended. Police are investigating whether the trio brokered other illegal transplants, with evidence suggesting the fees were intended to settle Kikuchi's debts.
Kikuchi reportedly informed the client that experienced Chinese doctors would perform the surgery. Mitsuru Kikuchi accompanied the recipient to Cambodia for the procedure. Japanese law prohibits the sale and paid brokering of organs, though organs from deceased donors can be used with ministerial approval.
