Kerala organ racket: ED searches 9 premises, seizes documents, freezes bank accounts

Kochi: The ED conducted searches at nine premises in Kerala in connection with an illegal organ trafficking racket and seized incriminating hospital records and froze bank accounts of suspects linked to a medical tourism company, an official said on Sunday.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kochi Zonal Office, conducted the search operations on June 18 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the large-scale illegal organ trafficking racket across Kerala, including Illegal transplant procedures at hospitals in Ernakulam.

Freezing orders have also been issued in respect of the bank accounts of agents and intermediaries who facilitated the illegal organ trade, the ED said.

Bank account details of the accused persons and their associated entities have been obtained and are being analysed to trace the flow and layering of the Proceeds of Crime, it said.

The investigation was initiated based on FIRs registered by the Kerala Police, which uncovered a sophisticated criminal syndicate involving forgery of official documents, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and illegal organ trafficking under the façade of legitimate altruistic organ donation and medical tourism, the ED said.

Initial findings reveal that the accused, led by Muhammed Najeeb K and his partner Rasheeda A.A., through their front company Kallatharas Medical Tourism Pvt Ltd, orchestrated the racket between 2021 and 2026, the agency said.

Through a network of agents and middlemen, they targeted financially distressed donors, luring them with payments of Rs 5-15 lakh while charging recipients Rs 20-35 lakh or more, the ED said.

The accused forged multiple documents, including fake altruism certificates from the police, recommendation letters from the public representatives, Aadhaar cards, ration cards and other certificates, the ED said.

These forgeries were executed at Sun Communications DTP Centre and Sign HD Digital Studio in Pallikkara, Ernakulam. Thereafter, illegal transplant procedures were facilitated at major hospitals in Ernakulam.

The ED said targeted searches were conducted with a view to tracing the Proceeds of Crime, identifying the ultimate beneficiaries, and recovering incriminating records, digital evidence, and financial transactions associated with the illegal organ trade.

During the search operations, several incriminating records were seized, including forged documents, comprehensive details relating to organ transplantation surgeries conducted at the hospitals, such as particulars of donors and recipients, documents submitted for approval from the District Level Authorisation Committee, said an ED statement.

In addition to this, details of immovable properties held in the name of the accused persons and their associates have been collected for ascertaining assets acquired out of the proceeds of crime, it said.

–IANS