wb-cops-uncover-inter-state-kidney-trafficking-racket

A week after police arrested a local moneylender in Ashoknagar, North 24 Parganas, for allegedly forcing a man to sell his wife’s kidney to clear a debt, investigators have unearthed a vast inter-state and international organ trafficking racket.

 

According to police findings, at least 25 impoverished individuals from a small region in North 24 Parganas have been coerced into selling their kidneys over the past seven years due to exorbitant interest rates imposed by local moneylenders that the victims failed to pay back. The illegal organ trade was exposed following the arrest of Bikas Ghosh, a moneylender, who had allegedly driven a borrower to such desperation. The victim had taken a loan of Rs 60,000 and, despite repaying ₹1,20,000 over several months, remained trapped in debt. Under immense pressure from Ghosh, he was forced to sell his wife’s kidney to clear the outstanding amount.

 

Further investigation revealed that the trafficked kidneys were being supplied to recipients in multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Haryana. The police are currently interrogating key suspects, including Ghosh and his associate Ganapati Jana alias Amit, both of whom are believed to have played crucial roles in hunting victims.

 

Additional superintendent of police (Barasat) Parsh Nilangi is leading the interrogation of the accused in an effort to dismantle the trafficking network from its roots. Investigators have identified multiple agents who worked at the grassroots level, targeting vulnerable borrowers willing to accept high-interest loans.

 

The police uncovered that four to five agents operated at the lowest levels of the supply chain. Their primary role was to lure desperate individuals into taking loans with unmanageable interest rates. Once the borrowers were trapped in debt, these agents collected the interest payments on behalf of the moneylenders, receiving commissions based on the amount collected.

 

If a borrower defaulted on payments, the moneylenders—often accompanied by collection agents—would visit their homes, initially issuing threats. If payments were still not made, they would seize mobile phones and valuables as collateral. When all other means failed, these desperate individuals were coerced into selling their kidneys. According to police sources, each kidney sale earned moneylenders at least Rs 20 lakh.

 

Beyond domestic trafficking, the investigation revealed strong international links to the kidney racket. Reports indicate that recipients from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan were connected to kidney brokers in West Bengal. Additionally, recipients from African and Southeast Asian nations, including Ghana, Congo, and Cambodia, were also found to be involved.

 

“Compared to the international black market, the price of kidneys in Bengal is significantly lower due to legal loopholes. As a result, many recipients from poorer countries seek transplants through brokers operating in the state,” said an investigator working on the case.

 

The investigation further uncovered that while different districts had separate kidney trafficking teams, they were all linked to a private hospital in South Kolkata. This hospital is now under scrutiny as authorities work to dismantle the supply network.

 

Police have identified at least 25 confirmed cases of kidney sales under coercion in the Ashoknagar area alone over the past seven years, with multiple moneylenders implicated.

 

Barasat Superintendent of Police Pratiksha Jharkharia issued a public appeal, urging citizens to avoid falling prey to high-interest moneylenders.

 

"I urge everyone not to fall into the trap of high-interest loans. If anyone is being pressured to pay exorbitant interest, they should immediately inform the police," she stated.