Black Market Organ Trade Exposed: Gang Trafficked Luxury Kidneys, Shocking Details Unveiled

Police in eastern Pakistan have dismantled an illicit organ harvesting syndicate, detaining eight individuals involved in the surgical extraction of kidneys from numerous patients to meet the transplantation demands of affluent individuals, authorities announced on Monday.

The accused mastermind, known as "Dr. Fawad," stands charged with performing 328 surgeries to forcefully remove kidneys from individuals, subsequently selling them to clients for prices ranging up to 10 million Pakistani rupees ($34,000) each, disclosed Mohsin Naqvi, the chief minister of Punjab province in Pakistan.

Fawad allegedly received assistance from an unidentified car mechanic who administered anesthesia, according to Naqvi. The chief minister mentioned that the gang enticed patients from hospitals and conducted the operations discreetly in the areas of Taxila, Lahore, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

According to Naqvi, the reason they were able to perform these operations in Kashmir was because there is no kidney transplant law, making it easier for them. The chief minister has confirmed three deaths, but the data is still being verified by authorities.

"He added that there must have been additional operations conducted, and the confirmed number is the only one we have," Naqvi mentioned. Fawad had been arrested five times in the past, but he was released on every occasion and able to continue with his operations, Naqvi explained.

Several patients had their organs harvested without their knowledge, according to the statement. After a man came forward claiming he was coerced by a suspected gang member into receiving private medical treatment, the police diligently pursued the case for nearly two months.

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When he sought additional medical care from a different doctor, the chief minister informed him that he was lacking a kidney. Naqvi mentioned his collaboration with the Inspector General of Police of Punjab in order to enhance the cyber laws of the country and prohibit online advertisements promoting illegal kidney transplants.

He stated that our primary objective is to monitor similar operations carried out by other gangs.

In 2007, Pakistan implemented a law that banned the commercial trade of human organs. Furthermore, a more stringent law was enacted in 2010, imposing a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 1 million rupees ($3,400) for the illegal harvesting and trafficking of organs.

Prior to the implementation of the legislation, the country served as a hub for foreigners and wealthy Pakistanis seeking organ transplants, making it a prominent center for the organ trade. This involved the buying and selling of kidneys, a common occurrence in which impoverished Pakistanis resorted to selling their kidneys to sustain themselves.

Despite the new regulations, the illegal kidney transplant industry has resurfaced in recent years, as reported by local media outlets.