Five arrested in connection with human kidney trafficking to India at Juanda Airport

Jakarta. The Indonesian military on Saturday thwarted a human kidney trafficking syndicate involving several individuals who attempted to depart from Juanda Airport in Surabaya for New Delhi, India on Saturday.

According to Col. Dani Achnisundani, commander of the Juanda Naval Airbase, the case was uncovered during an immigration inspection of 31-year-old Indonesian national AFH, who claimed he traveled to New Delhi, India, to treat his wife for a skin condition. .

AFH would fly from Surabaya to Kuala Lumpur and then connect with flight OD-205 from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi.

“However, during an inspection of AFH’s documents, immigration officials discovered evidence of a planned kidney transplant,” Dani told Beritabali.com on Wednesday.

The documents on AFH’s phone revealed consultations with urology specialists and a kidney transplant expert, as well as conversations related to a kidney trading transaction in India.

After further investigation, five individuals were identified as involved: AFH, along with AW, 28, MBA. 29, RA, 29, and NIA, 28, all Indonesian nationals. Authorities discovered that the syndicate planned to sell a kidney for Rp 600 million ($38,000).

“Immigration officials collected the five individuals for further questioning at the Class I Special Immigration Bureau in Surabaya,” Dani said.

The suspects have been transferred to the East Java police for further investigation. Authorities are working with the General Criminal Investigation Department of East Java Police to uncover a larger network.

The five suspects are charged under the Health Law, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison or a fine of up to Rp 2 billion.

Keywords: keywords: