With the arrest of three persons, including a woman, the Rachakonda police on Monday busted an international human organ transplantation racket, which is spread across Sri Lanka, Egypt, Turkey and several other countries.
Police said the kingpin Amrish Prathap (33) and his accomplices Rinkee alias Rithika Singh (37) and Sandeep Kumar (30) were arrested by the Cyber Crimes police in New Delhi and brought to the city on transit remand. The heinous racket was exposed by a city-based man who went to Turkey to donate his kidney and did not get the promised amount of ₹ 20 lakh. The police are also trying to find out the nexus between doctors, diagnostic centre owners and the accused.
On February 5, the Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda received a complaint from the victim in which he stated that in July last year he saw a Facebook post ‘Kidney needed in India’ posted by one Rohan Malik. “On seeing the post, he contacted Rohan Malik through his Whatsapp number 9650121463, who told the victim that they will pay him a huge sum of money if he sells his kidney. The gang assured to arrange transportation and provide him accommodation, documentation and medical examinations. To meet his financial needs, the victim agreed to sell his kidney for ₹ 20 lakh,” said Commissioner Mahesh M. Bhagwat.
The victim went to Delhi on July 20, where Malik received him and provided him accommodation in Radisson Hotel in Noida, where he stayed for a week and attended all medical examinations. Malik took his passport and sent him back to Hyderabad. After a few days, the former asked the victim to get police clearance certificate so as to proceed abroad, he said.
On August 14, the victim was sent to Izmir in Turkey and after reaching there one Amrish and Dina (a Turkey national) received him and conducted some formal medical tests at Kent Hospital. “The kidney transplantation surgery was conducted on August 27. After the surgery, Ambrish refused to pay the promised money to the victim and threatened to kill him, before he boarded a flight to India,” Mr Bhagwat said.
Amrish Prathap sent patients and donors to Western Hospital, Colombo of Sri Lanka, Al-Fahad Hospital, Cairo in Egypt and Kent Hospital, Izmir in Turkey and was successful in conducting around 40 human organ transplantations. The Special team, which kept surveillance on the activities of the accused, issued a Look Out Circular against Amrish Prathap and on March 28, he was arrested after his arrival at New Delhi airport from Singapore.