5 held for kidney trade on social media: Rab

Rab claimed to have arrested five members of a gang on charge of buying and selling kidneys using social media.

They were arrested from Dhaka's Bhatara, Banasree and Mirpur areas, said Lt Col Abdullah Al Momen, commanding officer of Rab-1.

The arrestees are: Shahidul Islam Mithu (49), "ringleader" of the gang; Mizanur Rahman (44); Al Mamun Mehedi (27); Saimun (28); and Rasel Hossain (24).

Briefing reporters at the Rab media centre, the CO said the gang has 15 to 20 members who carried out kidney trade in three groups.

One group used to communicate with patients -- via pages on social media -- and another sought out people from disadvantaged backgrounds as donors.

The third group had tests done in hospitals and diagnostic centres to determine whether the donors' organs were a match for the recipients.

During primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they used to take Tk 20-25 lakh from each kidney seeker. They promised each donor Tk 4-4.5 lakh and paid Tk 2 lakh in advance, they said.

Kidneys of more than 50 persons were traded by the gang, he said.