RAWALPINDI: An organ trafficking ring operating in Rawalpindi has been busted by the police who recovered 20 men and four women being detained illegally.

The police have launched an investigation into the involvement of four doctors and the staff of a private hospital in the “illegal kidney trade.”

The detained individuals were brought to Rawalpindi from Punjab through claims of good jobs and money, and were being held in a multi-storey building in Bahria Town Phase VII for two weeks.

Victims recovered from illegal detention, four arrested

The police also arrested four suspects during a raid on the building where victims were detained, and the suspects were produced in the court of the duty magistrate for remand custody on Sunday.

The police sought seven-day remand custody of the suspects, identified as Faqeer Mohammad alias Faqeera, Shahzad Qayyum alias Shani, Zafar Iqbal and Bilquis, but the court granted one-day remand custody.

Police raids are also underway to arrest four doctors and a cashier of a hospital who had disappeared since the first police raid, and a case has been registered against them on charges of kidnapping and illegal detention under sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Transplantation of Organs and Tissue Act.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Mohammad Yaqoob of the Rawat police, who is leading the investigation, said the raid on Saturday was carried out in the light of intelligence about a group of doctors involved in the organ trade and people brought from Punjab who were being detained at a private building for transplant purposes.

Mr Yaqoob identified Zafar Iqbal as the owner of the building, calling Al-Rehman Plaza. He also said Shahzad Qayyum, Faqeer Hussain, Bilquis and Mr Iqbal were arrested.

The police said Mr Qayyum was guarding 20 men who were being held in one hall while Ms Bilquis was guarding four women being held in a separate room.

According to the ASI, all the people recovered by the police were from low income backgrounds, and had not had any contact with their families since they were brought to Rawalpindi.

“None of the relatives of the individuals recovered by the police have contacted the police regarding their whereabouts,” Mr Yaqoob said.

He said if any of the victims’ heirs came to the police or contacted them, they would be allowed to take their relatives home.

When asked if any of the individuals recovered on Saturday included someone whose organ had been removed, Mr Yaqoob said the doctors kept the patients elsewhere rather than keeping them in the commercial building.

Quoting some of the detainees, the ASI said they were brought to Rawalpindi on the pretext of good jobs and bright futures, and belonged to Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Okara, Sahiwal, Kasur, Hafizabad, Khanewal, Gujranwala and Bahawalnagar.

He said underprivileged individuals were brought and held in the garrison city before doctors removed their organs, and traffickers and surgeons who always escaped arrest were profiting greatly from the practice.

After uncovering this ring in Rawalpindi, the police will also investigate whether the doctors and human traffickers had connections to international organ trafficking links and extortion.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2016