FIA widens probe into alleged placenta smuggling network

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency has expanded its investigation into the alleged recovery and smuggling of human placenta from illegal processing facilities operating in residential areas of Islamabad, according to details reported on Sunday.

The inquiry centres on five suspects — three Chinese nationals and two Pakistanis — whose four-day physical remand is due to end on Monday. They are expected to be presented before a court as investigators seek an extension in custody. The arrested foreign nationals were identified as Li Gangcai, Wang Bao and Peng Fei Gua, while the Pakistani suspects were named as Waqas and Qasim Hanif.

Raid in F-7/1 and alleged processing setup

The action began after intelligence was received by FIA Islamabad Zone Director Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari. A joint team made up of the FIA Corporate Crime Circle Islamabad and the Human Organ Transplant Authority raided a house in Sector F-7/1 of the capital, where officials said they found a complete plant allegedly being used for the unlawful processing of human organs, particularly human placenta.

Investigators said the suspects had been drying and processing human placenta at the facility. The processed material was allegedly sold under the name She Placenta and smuggled for export to Vietnam. During the operation, officials recovered about 500 kilograms of fresh and processed human placenta.

During the same raid, another Chinese national, identified only as Li, arrived at the premises and told officials he was a friend of Li Gangcai.

Second facility found in E-11

Following leads connected to the same network, the FIA later carried out another raid in Islamabad’s E-11 sector. At that location, officials said they found another active processing centre, including refrigerators containing organs. Processing machinery and prepared material were also recovered.

Two additional Pakistani suspects were detained from that site and are being questioned as part of the ongoing investigation.

Hospitals also under scrutiny

The case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Human Organs Transplantation Act, 2010. The investigation has now been extended to hospitals in Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahore, from where the suspects allegedly obtained human placenta after childbirth.

Authorities are continuing to examine the network and its supply chain as the probe broadens beyond the two Islamabad facilities.