KOCHI: The special investigation team (SIT), probing the Iran-based organ trade racket, will interrogate the three persons arrested in the case together.
To facilitate this, the SIT, led by Ernakulam rural police district chief Vaibhav Saxena, will approach the court on Monday seeking police custody of the alleged kingpin of the racket, Ballamkonda Ramaprasad, aka Prathapan, 41, of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
Ramaprasad, who was arrested in Hyderabad on Saturday, has been remanded to judicial custody. Police officers believe that questioning the three accused in the organ trafficking case will lead to those involved in the organ harvesting network.
According to officials, Madhu, a resident of Kochi who was leading the racket’s operations from Iran, is suspected to have links with organ trafficking networks in other countries as well.
The investigation into the links of Sabith Nasar of Valappad in Thrissur in connection with the organ harvesting case led to Ramaprasad’s arrest. He was apprehended while planning to leave the country.
Besides Sabith and Ramaprasad, Sajith Shyam, a resident of Edathala in Aluva, has also been arrested in the case. The accused are suspected of involvement in large-scale kidney trade.
Reports indicate that Madhu had come to Delhi last year. Ramaprasad, Sabith and Madhu formed a shell company for financial transactions, which was controlled by Sajith Shyam, according to police officials.
The accused targeted illiterate rural people, entrapping them in the organ trade. They earned Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore for each organ, but gave only Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh to the donors, said a police official.
The gang primarily targeted gullible victims from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Hyderabad, and Delhi. A youth from Thirunellayi in Palakkad was the only person on the list from Kerala.