Pak: 4 held in Lahore for illicit kidney trade; 90 victims identified

Lahore: Punjab police busted an illegal organ harvesting ring, arresting four people for surgically removing kidneys from 90 individuals in Lahore, as reported by ARY News on Monday.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Sadar, Sidra Khan, the gang is accused of extracting the kidneys of 90 individuals in Lahore. The modus operandi involved luring citizens to Islamabad under false pretences of employment, where illegal kidney harvesting reportedly took place in a private farmhouse.

"The accused took the citizens with them to Islamabad under the pretence of employment, and the illegal kidney harvesting was done in a private farmhouse located in the capital," ARY News quoted SP Sidra Khan as saying.
Efforts are currently underway to apprehend the doctor allegedly involved in the scandal. The arrested individuals are expected to face legal consequences for their involvement in the illicit kidney trade.

In a related development, in October 2023, Punjab Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi announced the arrest of a gang, including its leader, engaged in illegal kidney transplantation. Addressing a press conference, the caretaker chief minister stated, "The police team arresting the gang would be awarded PKR 500,000." He further disclosed that Doctor Fawad Mukhtar and all members of his gang had been apprehended.
The Punjab CM claimed, "Fawad Mukhtar, by unlawfully stealing, duping, and grabbing money, extracted 328 people's kidneys and performed transplants." Additionally, he revealed that an assistant within Fawad's gang, originally a motor mechanic, had been responsible for administering anaesthesia during the operations.

This revelation sheds light on the complexity and audacity of the illegal kidney trade, exposing not only the medical professionals involved but also the deceptive tactics employed to exploit unsuspecting individuals. Authorities are committed to bringing all those responsible to justice and putting an end to such heinous activities, ARY News reported. (