HÀ NỘI — A 29-year-old man in Hà Nội was recently arrested on suspicion of running a kidney trading ring, local police said yesterday.

Late in November, after being informed of suspicious activities from tenants who were likely from other provinces and staying at a rented apartment on Ngọc Lâm Street in Long Biên District, the police decided to investigate.

When police raided the apartment, they found eight tenants who said they were all awaiting kidney extraction operations.

The apartment was rented under the name of Nguyễn Đức Thắng, a resident from the rural district of Ứng Hoà in suburban Hà Nội, who police believe is the organiser of the kidney trading ring.

Police searched the apartment and found an airsoft gun, 200 bullets and three knives.

According to police, Thắng previously sold one of his kidneys to a transplant patient at the Việt Nam-Germany Hospital in Hà Nội for VNĐ250 million (US$10,800).

Afterwards, other people contacted him to try and find others willing to sell their kidneys and vice versa, which prompted Thắng to act as the intermediary and collect commissions from successful transactions.

Thắng would guide the prospective kidney seller through the paperwork and a physical examination at the Military Hospital 103.

If the sellers’ health conditions were good enough, a verbal agreement would be made where they agree to receive VNĐ 250-270 million for a kidney.

Thắng would then sell the kidney to the interested buyer for VNĐ 260-310 million apiece, earning the difference.

Thắng confessed to police that he had facilitated about 15 transactions.

Long Biên police have started legal proceedings in the case, charging Thắng with the crime of trading of human organs.  — VNS