ED freezes bank accounts in organ trafficking case

Kochi: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Kochi zonal office, has frozen the bank accounts of agents and intermediaries involved in the alleged organ trafficking racket. The action followed searches at nine locations, including leading private hospitals and suspects’ residences, across the state on Thursday.The money laundering investigation stems from FIRs registered by Kerala Police, which uncovered a sophisticated criminal syndicate. Police had registered multiple cases and arrested the alleged kingpin Muhammed Najeeb K in Uttar Pradesh last month, besides others. The offences include forgery of official documents, cheating, criminal conspiracy and organ trafficking under the guise of altruistic organ donation and medical tourism.The ED said the searches were aimed at tracing the proceeds of crime, identifying the ultimate beneficiaries and recovering incriminating records, digital evidence and financial transaction details linked to the racket. Several incriminating documents, including forged records, were seized.According to the agency, the seized material includes details of transplant surgeries conducted at hospitals, such as information about donors and recipients and documents submitted to district-level authorisation committees for approval.

Investigators also collected details of immovable properties held by the accused and their associates to determine whether they were acquired using the proceeds of crime.The ED said preliminary findings indicate that the accused, led by Najeeb and his associate Rasheeda A A, ran the racket through their front company, Kallatharas Medical Tourism Pvt Ltd, between 2021 and 2026. Financially distressed donors were allegedly recruited through a network of agents and middlemen, offered Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, while recipients were charged Rs 20 lakh to Rs 35 lakh or more.The agency alleged that the accused forged several documents, including fake altruism certificates purportedly issued by the police, recommendation letters from public representatives, Aadhaar cards and ration cards. These documents were allegedly fabricated at Sun Communications DTP Centre and Sign HD Digital Studio in Pallikkara, Ernakulam, following which illegal transplant procedures were facilitated at major hospitals in the district.The ED is analyzing the bank account details of the accused and associated entities to trace the flow and layering of the proceeds of crime.