An eight-member gang involved in illegal kidney transplants has been apprehended in Sheikhupura following a joint operation by the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA) and other law enforcement agencies.
The raid targeted a private hospital, where the group was caught in the act of illegally removing a kidney from a local resident for transplantation into an African national. PHOTA revealed that the gang had charged the recipient Rs. 7 million for the procedure, but the donor had not received any payment.
Among those arrested were Dr. Waqas Mustafa, two women, OT technicians, and agents linked to the illegal organ trade. PHOTA confirmed that the group was part of a larger network involved in the illicit buying and selling of human organs. Efforts are ongoing to arrest another suspect, a fake doctor named Naseem, who is believed to be a key player in the operation.
In a related incident earlier this week, two fake doctors were arrested in Bahawalnagar after performing surgery on a female patient at Zubaida Naik Hospital. During a surprise inspection by the health department, four unqualified individuals were found conducting surgeries in the operating theater. None of them possessed medical licenses or qualifications.
The hospital owner, Aslam Hayat, who also lacks any medical degree, has been named in the FIR along with four others. While Aslam fled the scene, two suspects were taken into custody. The operation revealed severe lapses in medical safety and regulatory compliance.
