RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) unearthed a gang that was involved in ‘depriving’ people of their kidneys and selling them to foreigners at a high price. A man was also arrested in connection with the case.

The accused also tried to bribe the PHP official. Initially, the FIR was registered on the charges of bribing police and rash driving. An initial medical examination of the victim confirmed that the organ had been harvested, but relevant sections of the law would be added to the FIR after a formal medical report.

After the registration of the case, the police launched an investigation which led to the revelation of four other members of the gang and their ‘mini operation theatre’ established in a house in Bahria Town’s Phase VIII. Police also recovered medical instruments from the house rented by the alleged gang.

Police said raids were underway to arrest the remaining gang members which charged Rs5 million from their clients chiefly hailing from Arab countries for an organ.

Victim, a resident of Faisalabad, was paid Rs200,000 against his kidney; Clients were mostly foreigners looking for organ transplant

PHP sub-inspector Mohammad Sayab Awan posted in Bahria Town lodged an FIR with the district police, saying that he along with his subordinates was on duty at a police check post on Japan Road when they intercepted a white car coming from Khalid Block, Bahria Town, on Saturday.

The police official said that the driver was signaled to stop, but he tried to speed away from the scene.

The vehicle, however, was forced to stop with help of an obstruction.

He said that the driver identified himself as Saqib Ali, a resident of Rawalpindi but he refused to produce the registration book of the vehicle, saying that “he was in a hurry” as he had to drop a passenger off.

Instead, the car driver wanted to give Rs5,000 to the police in exchange for letting him go but the bribe was refused.

Upon further investigation, the police asked the passenger, sitting in the vehicle with a shawl wrapped around him, to get off the car.

The police discovered a cannula (a small flexible plastic tube inserted into a vein) on his right hand and bandages on his abdomen.

Upon interrogation, the man identified himself as Azam Wali, a resident of Faisalabad, who works as a labourer at a brick kiln. He said that he borrowed money from his employer and now the employer had been demanding the money back.

He informed the police that he brought the issue to his brother’s notice who introduced him to Saqib Ali and Imran who assured him that they would financially help him and called him to Rawalpindi.

Upon reaching Rawalpindi, Saqib Ali picked up Mr Wali from a bus stop and drove him to a house in Bahria Town where he was administered an injection, which made him fall unconscious. After he regained consciousness, he was feeling pain in his abdomen and found a cannula inserted in his arm, he said.

According to Mr Wali, Rs200,000 were sent to his brother against his kidney; this was revealed to him after he talked to his brother on the phone. After he protested, they told him he would be well within a few days.

In addition to that, he claimed that a second man, who was dressed in Arabic attire and resting on the bed next to him, gave him Rs40,000.

He claimed to have spent a day and night in Bahria Town while receiving several injections through the cannula.

Police said that according to the statement of the victim, his condition and medical reports, there was no doubt that the kidney of Mr Wali was “illegally removed”.

After the police carried out a search of Saqib Ali, Rs495,000 and 50 Omani Riyals were recovered from him. An amount of Rs500,000 were also recovered from the vehicle.

It may be mentioned here that at least three weeks ago, the Lahore police conducted a raid in Rawalpindi and arrested a member of the gang involved in the illegal harvesting of kidneys at a private laboratory.

When asked about the Lahore police raid in the garrison city and the arrest of the accused involved in the illegal trade of kidneys, a senior police officer of Rawalpindi said that there had been no reports of any such gang or laboratory operating in the city.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2023