Police investigate 'organ mafia' operating via Facebook

Police took 22 people into custody including 6 doctors.

Investigating a Facebook page called “Organ Mafyası – Organ Mafia,” the İstanbul police have discovered a black-market organ sales and transplant network operating in Turkey.  

After receiving a tip from an anonymous caller seven months ago, the İstanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Unit began an investigation of the black market trade in organs. Police found that members of the illegal organ network were using social networking websites, especially Facebook, to find people willing to sell their organs. After tracking down the network through Facebook, police searched 203 hospitals across the country and identified one hospital where illegal organ transplantations were taking place.

Following a court ruling, police looked into the case further and found that the illegal organ network worked by producing fake documents in each transplant case showing the seller of the organ to be close relative of the transplant recipient.

Police said the organ mafia was buying kidneys for between TL 15,000 to TL 200,000. After a seven-month investigation, police units simultaneously raided a number of addresses implicated in the organ trade ring. Twenty-two suspects, including six doctors and potential sellers of organs, were taken into custody. Police also seized computers and documents in the operation.

 

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