New Delhi

On Saturday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charges against four individuals involved in a transnational organ trade scheme uncovered in Nedumbassery, Kerala. Three of the accused—Sabith Korukulath Nasar, Sajith Shyam, and Bellamkonda Ram Prasad—are in custody, while the fourth, Madhu Jayakumar, is still on the run.

The charges include various violations of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to the NIA, the accused lured vulnerable individuals to donate their organs for money, which were then trafficked to foreign countries. They used social media and agents to recruit donors and also targeted Indian patients, charging about Rs 50 lakh for organ transplants in Iran, falsely presenting it as legal. The NIA’s investigation, which took over from the local Ernakulam police on July 3, has also uncovered forged documents used to facilitate the illegal transactions.