Shocking Iran angle emerges after Kerala Police exposes International organ trafficking network
Sabith Nasar, a resident of Thrissur was apprehended at Cochin Airport by the Kerala Police on a tip-off from central agencies. He was detained on suspicion of being part of a network trafficking vulnerable individuals for organ harvesting and transplantation.
 )
FollowThe Kerala police apprehended a 30-year-old man believed to be a significant player in an international human trafficking ring involved in organ harvesting. Sabith Nasar, a resident of Valappadu in Thrissur district, was detained at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Saturday (May 19) after receiving a tip-off from central agencies, according to police sources.
Officials from the Bureau of Immigration detained him on suspicion of being part of a network trafficking vulnerable individuals for organ harvesting and transplantation. He was subsequently arrested under Section 370 of the IPC (human trafficking) and Section 19 of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (commercial dealings with human organs).
The accused reportedly trafficked donors to Iran from various Indian states over a period of five years, taking individuals, including those from northern states, to Faridi Khan Hospital for kidney surgeries and extorting money from the recipients. Central agencies have begun a preliminary investigation into the suspected involvement of international mafia groups. The accused will be produced in Angamaly court today. The investigation team has collected fingerprints of the accused.
Sabith Nasar in a statement to the police revealed that financial difficulties initially led him to attempt to donate his kidney in 2019. However, realizing he could make more money by recruiting other donors, he became an agent for the trafficking network. Nasar stayed in Thrissur's Valapad for only ten days in 2019, yet that location became his registered address. After his wife left him, he frequently rented houses in various locations and stayed with his sister, traveling in and out of Kerala.
Sabith Nasar revealed that he was mostly settled in Iran, where he recruited up to 20 donors from India for kidney transplant procedures at Faridi Khan Hospital. According to his confession, most of the organ transplants involved individuals from northern Indian states rather than Malayalis. However, the police indicate that a detailed interrogation is required to verify these claims.
The accused's financial dealings should also be investigated in detail, stated the police. He allegedly smuggled organs to foreign countries by exploiting economically disadvantaged people, offering them money while misrepresenting the legality of the transactions. Mafia gangs profit significantly by paying a nominal amount to the donor and charging the recipient many times that amount. The police are also probing how he obtained a passport using the temporary address he was staying at. Additionally, there's an ongoing investigation to determine if central agencies should take over the case due to its international implications. Preliminary data collection by central agencies has already been completed.
Authorities disclosed that one of the human trafficking victims is a native of Palakkad. The investigation team has also identified 19 other individuals who are natives of North India. Police suspect there may be additional victims of human trafficking. So far, the police have gathered information about 20 individuals from the accused, Sabit.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.
