International kidney racket busted in Telangana, one held

The accused would collect anywhere between Rs 30 and 50 lakhs from rich patients for the surgery

An international kidney racket was busted with the arrest of a person, who allegedly swindled a man here of Rs 34 lakh after promising to arrange akidney donor for him, police said on Saturday. With the arrest of the 25-year-old MBA student, who acts as a mediator between donors and recepients, the city police claimed to have busted the racket that involved illegal sale of kidneys.

According to a release from Hyderabad Police, a complaint was lodged against the accused in 2019 by the victim alleging that he had collected Rs 34 lakh with a promise to arrange for a kidney through his sources in Sri Lanka or Turkey and took copies of passports of his family members.

However, after collecting the amount the accused failed to get a donor and vanished, police said adding a case was
registered under relevant IPC sections. During the course of investigation, the accused was nabbed from the city on Friday and was interrogated thoroughly.

Copies of the passports, which were obtained from the complainant and others donors for travel to Turkey and Sri
Lanka were also seized. Police further said the accused had donated his kidney a few years ago in Sri Lanka to tide over a financial situation and come in contact with some doctors there.

In order to make easy money he came up with a plan to work as an agent to provide donors for needy patients. He ran campaigns on social media to luregullible people willing to sell their kidneys for money and paid them very
less after extracting the organ. He would collect anywhere between Rs 30 and 50 lakhs from rich patients for the surgery, they said.

After negotiating with the patients he would inform his contacts in Sri Lanka and Turkey, who in turn would arrange
for their travel, accommodation and surgeries at some hospitals in these countries, they added.