Crackdown on Kidney Crime: Eight Arrested in Punjab Organ Trafficking Scandal

In a significant breakthrough, authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province have apprehended eight members involved in an illegal kidney transplant network, including medical professionals. The Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority spokesperson announced on Tuesday the network's discovery in Sheikhupura, just 50 km from Lahore.

Investigations revealed that illicit kidney surgeries were taking place at a private hospital where, during a recent raid, a kidney was being removed from a local resident for an African national. The authorities detained eight individuals, spanning doctors and nurses involved in the illegal practice.

The network profited tremendously, charging at least PKR 7 million per transplant, while donors typically received only a fraction of the total amount. Despite the practice being outlawed in 2010 with severe penalties, organ trafficking remains due to economic hardships and weak regulations, as highlighted by past arrests of network leaders.

(With inputs from agencies.)