Illegal kidney trade booming

the Guardian, May 28, 2012

The World Health Organization experts have revealed that the illegal trade in kidneys has risen to such a level that an estimated 10,000 black market operations involving purchased human organs now take place annually, or more than one an hour, the Guardian reported.? 

※Patients, many of whom will go to China, India or Pakistan for surgery, can pay up to $200,000 for a kidney to gangs who harvest organs from vulnerable, desperate people, sometimes for as little as $5,000.

※The vast sums to be made by both traffickers and surgeons have been underlined by the arrest by Israeli police last week of 10 people, suspected of belonging to an international organ trafficking ring and of committing extortion, tax fraud and grievous bodily harm. Other illicit organ trafficking rings have also been uncovered in India and Pakistan.