Raids On Many Hospitals Across Kerala In Organ Trafficking Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches across Kerala in connection with an alleged organ trafficking racket that investigators believe generated massive illegal commissions through forged documents, middlemen and illegal kidney transplants.

Raids are underway at nine locations across Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kasaragod districts.

The searches include Medical Trust Hospital and Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi as well as residences linked to suspected agents involved in the racket.

Sources said the Enforcement Directorate is examining financial transactions linked to hospitals, agents and intermediaries who allegedly earned commissions at multiple stages of the transplant process. Investigators are probing claims that payments were collected for identifying donors and recipients, arranging medical screenings and facilitating approvals required for organ transplantation. Bank accounts and money trails connected to the network are also under scrutiny.

The probe stems from a larger investigation into an alleged organ trafficking syndicate headed by Mohammed Najeeb, 53, a Kasaragod native who was arrested earlier this year in Ghaziabad after a month-long manhunt.

According to investigators, Najeeb allegedly masterminded a network that exploited vulnerable and financially distressed individuals by arranging illegal kidney transplants through forged documents. Police have alleged that the syndicate fabricated kinship certificates, medical tourism records and recommendation letters purportedly issued by elected representatives to bypass safeguards under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA).

Investigators suspect recipients were charged as much as Rs 20 lakh for an organ transplant, while donors were allegedly paid between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. The remaining amount was allegedly distributed as commissions among agents and facilitators involved in the operation.

The racket first came to light through an investigation by Kollam City Police. Agents Sreeja, 40, and Sudheer, 31, were arrested for allegedly arranging organ donations for financial gain. A donor identified as Vinod was also arrested. Police recovered mobile phones, forged Aadhaar cards and other documents during the investigation.

Investigators said digital evidence recovered from one of the accused revealed details of an organ transplant carried out in Ernakulam, leading to further arrests and expanding the scope of the probe.

Police suspect Najeeb's firm, Kallatras Medical Tourism Pvt Ltd, played a key role in facilitating illegal transplants and may have been involved in nearly 40 such procedures over the past five years. Several individuals, including Najeeb's wife Rasheeda and other intermediaries, have been arrested by the Special Investigation Team probing the case.

The Enforcement Directorate has now launched a parallel money laundering investigation to determine the scale of the alleged proceeds generated through the racket, the role of various facilitators and whether the funds were routed through legitimate businesses and financial institutions. Searches are continuing.