A major illegal kidney transplantation racket operating in Sheikhupura has been dismantled by the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA) in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
Authorities raided a hospital on Faisalabad Road, where a PHOTA vigilance team caught eight individuals red-handed while conducting an unlawful kidney transplant. Among the arrested was Dr Waqas Mustafa, the main suspect, along with two women, operation theatre technicians, agents, and other support staff.
The illegal transplant involved an African recipient and a donor from Sheikhupura, who was being exploited without financial compensation. Initial investigations revealed the gang had charged Rs7 million from the recipient for the transplant.
The criminal network targeted vulnerable individuals, often from impoverished backgrounds, and tricked or pressured them into selling their kidneys. PHOTA officials confirmed that efforts to arrest Naseem, an alleged fake doctor connected to the gang, were ongoing. Raids in Sheikhupura and other cities are underway to capture other facilitators and dismantle the entire operation.
Despite strict regulations under the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Act of 2010, which bans commercial organ trading and mandates stringent licensing for transplant facilities, illegal organ transplants have surged in Punjab, according to a health official.
