Breaking up an organ trafficking ring with transactions of up to 1.5 billion VND/case
The Criminal Police Department, Ministry of Public Security has just finished a special project to crack down on a “Human body parts trading” (liver, kidney) ring. According to the investigation agency, this is the first liver trading case to be cracked down, and so far the police have prosecuted and detained 2 suspects in the ring.
Through reconnaissance to grasp the situation in the area, the Department of Human Trafficking Crime Prevention (Department 5) of the Criminal Police Department discovered that the subject Tran Van Hiep (born in 1971, residing in Hanoi), had committed the act ofhuman body parts trading. Under the close direction of the leaders of the Criminal Police Department, detectives of Department 5 established a plan to fight and discovered Hiep residing in Quang An Ward, Tay Ho District. This person was looking for brokers to buy and sell human body parts, especially livers.
Liver buyers had to pay Hiep about 1.2 billion VND, while liver sellers were only paid 450 million VND. To find a relationship, Hiep often hung around major hospitals in Hanoi. And when he found someone who wanted to sell his liver, Hiep would take them to the hospital to do tests and evaluate the “health” of their liver.
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| Truong Thi Khuyen and Tran Van Hiep. |
In addition to going directly to hospitals, Hiep also joined Facebook groups such as: “Vietnam Kidney Donation and Transplantation Association”, “Kidney Transplant Association”… to post information related to kidney trading. When he found a source of buyers and sellers, Hiep would plan to arrange pick-up and drop-off.
Through further investigation, the investigation team identified some more of Hiep's "henchmen" Ly Van Quyen and Vu Manh Cuong who sold kidneys. Especially, there was support from a female subject, Truong Thi Khuyen (born in 1966), residing in Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province.
At that time, Khuyen was living as husband and wife with a man named NVB (who had sold his kidney in Hanoi), and Khuyen was the one who introduced Quyen and Cuong to sell their liver and kidney to Hiep.
Around January 2021, due to difficult family circumstances and a debt of 70 million VND, Quyen agreed to sell his kidney and was introduced to a broker named Khuyen. Khuyen then continued to introduce Quyen to Hiep and was offered a liver for 450 million VND. However, after a successful liver transplant for Mr. NTP, from Hung Yen province, Quyen's health is currently weak due to cirrhosis F4 and hepatitis C...
In the case of Vu Manh Cuong selling his kidney; due to business losses, Cuong owed many people about 400 million VND. When he met Hiep, he was quoted the price of 1 kidney for 250 million VND, Cuong agreed to sell it to Ms. HTH, from Quang Ninh province. Next, Hiep brokered the sale of the kidney of Nguyen Minh Truong, from Thai Nguyen province, to the buyer P.D.N.
According to the investigation of the Criminal Police Department, the total cost of a kidney transplant is 700 million VND/case; a liver transplant costs from 1.2 billion VND to 1.5 billion VND/case. Of which, Hiep benefits from the difference of 100 million VND to 200 million VND/transplantee; and Khuyen is paid from 20 to 30 million VND by Hiep.
On August 3, 2022, Hiep led 3 women to Giai Phong Street (Hanoi), where they were caught red-handed by the police. At the police station, these people confessed to going with Hiep for a kidney test... Up to now, the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Agency has prosecuted and detained the accused Tran Van Hiep and Truong Thi Khuyen for the act of "buying, selling, appropriating human tissues or body parts" under Article 154 of the Penal Code and transferred the case file to the Hanoi City Police Department for further investigation./.
