KUCHING: A 48-year-old man who is alleged to be an illegal organ trafficker, has been remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations into his involvement in an international human organs trade.
Assistant Registrar Mosidi Husseini meted out the remand order starting Aug 14 until 20, following an application by investigating officer ASP Nor Elyanis Mohd Yusoff at the Kuching Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The case is being investigated under Section 15 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
According to Sarawak deputy Commissioner of Police Datuk Dev Kumar M M Sree, the man surrendered himself at the Kuching district police headquarters (IPD) at 1.45pm on Thursday.
“Police have been hunting for the man for several days after The Sun newspaper alleged in its report that the man was selling kidneys via Facebook,” he said.
The man was exposed by an investigative report from The Sun (a British newspaper), of his involvement in an international human organs trade.
The suspect had boasted to undercover reporters at a hotel here that he had masterminded 45 illegal kidney sales, and had over 100 potential kidney sellers around the world.
He claimed they were sourced through his Facebook page. Reporters from The Sun had posed as kidney buyers during the expose.
On Aug 8, a reporter pretended to be a kidney buyer for a relative and met with the suspect in a hotel here.
Captured on video, the suspect said he had been selling organs since 2010. He said his fees included bribes for a clinic in Manila, Philippines to perform the operations.
The suspect initially charged a fee of £55,000 (RM301,500) for supplying the kidney, and an additional £65,000 (RM356,300) for payment to the clinic.
He then offered the journalist a kidney with an organ transplant package worth £85,000 (RM466,440), specially for British citizens.
He also confirmed links with the international organ trade.
