ALBAWABA- Indonesian police have launched an investigation into the illegal trade of human organs, which involves police and immigration officers allegedly aiding traffickers in sending 122 Indonesians to Cambodia to sell their kidneys.
The suspects, including a police officer and an immigration officer, were arrested on July 19 and are now facing charges under Indonesia's human trafficking law, with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to 600 million Rupiahs.
According to Hengki Haryadi, the Jakarta police director for general crimes, all 122 victims, including factory workers, teachers, and executives, have returned to Indonesia. Authorities are actively searching for other victims who may be required to provide testimony for the ongoing investigation. Many of the victims were driven to sell their organs due to unemployment caused by the pandemic, with six victims still under medical observation.
Strikingly, nine of the arrested suspects were previously victims of the organ trade themselves. These suspects are accused of using social media to lure people from various parts of Indonesia into having their kidneys removed in Cambodia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has long prohibited payments for organs, and numerous countries have incorporated this prohibition into their national laws. Organ trade is estimated to make up 5% of all transplants globally, with living donor kidneys being the most commonly reported form.
