Victims lured to India with promises of jobs, then kidneys removed
They would lure people to India with promises of jobs. Once they arrived at Delhi, the victims would be held hostage. Then their kidneys would be removed. This criminal gang till date has trafficked 10 people to India and taken their kidneys, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Recently a victim Robin filed a case against the gang with the Dhanmondi police station in the capital. The Dhanmondi police have arrested three members of the gang. They were arrested in drives carried out on Saturday and today, Sunday, in Dhanmondi and Bagerhat.
The arrested persons are Md Raju Howladar (32), Shahed Uddin (22) and Md Atahar Hossain Bappi (28). And 10 or 12 are absconding in the case, including Md Masum (27), Shaheen (35), Sagar alias Mustafa (37).
While in hospital Robin learnt that the accused sold his kidney to a gang of agents for a large sum of money. Later, a few of the gang members who were in Bangladesh, paid Robin's wide Tk 300,000. After that Robin returned to Bangladesh.
Sources in the Dhanmondi police station said that Robin had been lured with promises of a job in India. He was first taken to Faridabad in Delhi. Later they coerced him into agreeing to sell his kidney. According to their agreement, the gang was supposed to pay him Tk 600,000 (Tk 6 lakh) but only paid Tk 300,000 (Tk 3 lakh) once the kidney was removed.
Speaking at a press briefing Sunday afternoon at the Mintoo Road DMP Media Centre in the capital, DMP additional police commissioner (crime and ops) Mahid Uddin said, one day in April 2023 Robin has been having a cup of tea with a friend at a tea stall behind Shah Ali Market in Mirpur-10. He had been talking about the hardship and needs of his family. Masum (now absconding) had been sitting nearby listening to them. He turned to Robin and said that he had a business in India and could give him a job there. They exchanged mobile phone numbers. Later Masum would talk to him regularly over phone. Finally he agreed to taking up the job in India.
Police officer Mahid Uddin said, Masum told Robin that we would have to undergo some medical tests to go to India. In September he took him to a hospital in Dhaka where Robin was introduced to Raju Howladar (now under arrested). After the medical checkup, they took his passport to get a visa. Once the visa was confirmed, the victim was introduced to Shahed and Atahar (two of the arrested persons). They said they were partners and had businesses in Bangladesh and India. Finally Robin was taken to Delhi.
Police officer Mahid Uddin said that Robin was taken to a hospital in Delhi where he underwent kidney tests. He said, a few days later Robin was taken to Gujarat and kept at a house in Muktinagar. The accused then threatened him and on 4 March he underwent a surgery at a hospital in Gujarat where his kidney was removed.
He was released from hospital four days later. The accused kept him detained at an unknown place for 10 or 11 days. While in hospital Robin learnt that the accused sold his kidney to a gang of agents for a large sum of money. Later, a few of the gang members who were in Bangladesh, paid Robin's wide Tk 300,000. After that Robin returned to Bangladesh.
Additional police commissioner Mahid Uddin said that the arrested persons are being interrogated. He said they found out that till now this gang has taken 10 people to India and sold their kidneys.