KOCHI: Investigators probing the illegal organ trade racket operated using forged documents have uncovered crucial details from the phone records and financial transactions of prime accused Mohammed Najeeb, with preliminary findings suggesting that the network facilitated nearly 40 illegal organ transplants over the past five years.
An examination of Najeeb’s phone records revealed that he had been in frequent contact with hospitals where transplant surgeries were conducted.
During custodial interrogation, however, Najeeb claimed that the calls were only related to booking appointments for patients and contacting laboratories to obtain medical test results. Police sources said investigators are not convinced by the explanation and are examining whether intermediaries linked to the racket had connections within hospitals.
The probe team is also conducting a detailed scrutiny of Najeeb’s bank accounts. Officials confirmed that his primary account was operated from Kakkanad and that transactions worth crores of rupees had passed through it. Based on fresh findings from the analysis of financial records and call data, police are likely to seek the custody of Najeeb and his wife Rashida again for further questioning.
Investigators suspect that financially vulnerable persons were recruited as organ donors using forged documents and fake familial claims. Statements of most of the donors and recipients linked to Najeeb have already been recorded.
Many donors reportedly told investigators that they agreed to donate organs after witnessing the desperate medical condition of recipients and claimed they had not accepted money in return. However, a scrutiny of some bank accounts revealed suspicious financial transactions, strengthening the investigators’ suspicion that payments had been made despite such claims.
Police have also identified that several donors later became agents in the racket and allegedly helped recruit more people for illegal transplants. Efforts are under way to trace and arrest them.
Meanwhile, the Kochi City police-led investigation team is preparing to seek the custody of remanded accused M Maya, a resident of Vazhoor in Kottayam district. According to investigators, Maya allegedly forged documents by including the name of a kidney recipient from Mumbai in her ration card and falsely portraying him as her brother to secure approval for organ transplantation.
Investigators found that Najeeb had allegedly paid Maya `25,000 for preparing the forged documents. Police also found that false information had allegedly been submitted before the district-level authorisation committee to obtain clearance for the transplant procedure.
Officials suspect that Maya was not the only person used by Najeeb to fabricate records and that several others may have played similar roles in facilitating illegal transplants.
With Maya’s arrest, the total number of accused arrested so far has risen to seven.
40 transplants in 5 years
Najeeb’s phone records revealed frequent contact with hospitals linked to transplant surgeries
Investigators suspect the racket facilitated nearly 40 illegal organ transplants in five years