Home / Crime and Justice / Kerala Organ Trafficking Racket Busted
Kerala Organ Trafficking Racket Busted
22 Jul
Summary
- Special investigation team formed to probe organ trafficking.
- Syndicate allegedly forged documents for illegal kidney transplants.
- Rs 15 lakh charged per transplant; Rs 10 lakh paid to donors.
The Kerala government has established a special investigation team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate an alleged organ trafficking and forged document racket. Cases related to this racket have been registered at Kunnathunad, Vadakkekkara, and Ambalamedu police stations in the Ernakulam district.
The SIT will operate under the direct supervision of Ernakulam rural district police chief Sudarshan KS. This action follows a police probe that uncovered a syndicate, allegedly led by Kasaragod native Mohammed Najeeb Kallatra, which forged official documents to facilitate illegal kidney transplants.
According to government orders, three cases have been registered in connection with the racket. Investigations suggest the intermediary forged recommendation letters from MPs and MLAs, along with other official documents, to arrange organ donations for around 35 people. Each transplant allegedly incurred charges of approximately Rs 15 lakh, with donors receiving about Rs 10 lakh.
Investigators suspect organized networks operating under the guise of medical tourism. They allegedly brought foreign patients to India while luring financially vulnerable individuals into becoming organ donors. Official documents like Aadhaar cards, passports, and visas were purportedly forged or misused to falsely establish relationships between donors and recipients.
Financial transactions are suspected to have been routed through hawala channels, cryptocurrency, and foreign bank accounts. Communication was allegedly conducted via platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp. The SIT will comprise officers from the cyber cell, economic offences wing, state intelligence, and the anti-human trafficking unit.
This SIT is tasked with coordinating with central agencies, the health department, medical experts, digital forensic experts, and the prosecution. They will investigate all facets of the case, including the actual relationships between donors and recipients, the roles of agents, call records, digital evidence, and the involvement of foreign agents. The state police chief will monitor the investigation and submit timely reports to the government.
