Gang accused of kidnapping labourers, transplanting their kidneys into wealthy foreign patients
A kidney transplant. Photo: AFP (file)
RAWALPINDI:
Police have decided to expand the investigation into a serious crime involving the kidnapping of poor labourers, removing their kidneys while they were unconscious and illegally transplanting them into wealthy patients from abroad.
According to sources, Civil Lines Police registered a case on February 17, 2026 on the complaint of a labourer named Mohammad Rafiq.
The case exposed a group that allegedly abducted healthy labourers and forcibly removed their kidneys to transplant them into rich patients arriving from foreign countries.
Police sources said that the list of patients recovered from the arrested suspects revealed that many of them belonged to the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
During interrogation, the suspects disclosed that the group involved in illegal kidney transplants searched for victims online. They had falsely linked themselves with major hospitals on different online forums.
Through video calls, the suspects collected detailed information and medical reports from patients suffering from kidney diseases and their families. Medical reports were also obtained through courier services.
After assuring patients of a successful transplant with a healthy kidney, the suspects fixed rates for the procedure.
They also provided a complete package including pick-and-drop service from Islamabad Airport and accommodation in five-star hotels before and after the transplant, where patients could stay with one or two attendants.
A police officer associated with the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that patients were shown virtual tours of major hospitals and modern operation theatres online to convince them that their treatment would take place in a clean and satisfactory environment.
However, upon arrival in Pakistan, patients were taken to private clinics set up inside residential houses where tissue samples from their damaged kidneys were obtained in highly negligent conditions. After receiving reports, the suspects would start searching for healthy labourers.
The officer said the group involved in illegal kidney transplantation had been operating in a highly organised manner.
So far, information suggests the suspects were charging between Rs5 million and Rs7 million per transplant.
Patients were instructed to make payments in cash, while bank and online transactions were kept to a minimum.
