Tôn Nữ Thị Huyền, head of an illegal organ trading ring, at police station. — Photo laodong.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — Local police are expanding the investigation into a large-scale illegal organ trading ring operating in Hà Nội, HCM City and some other provinces.

Tôn Nữ Thị Huyền, 44, residing in HCM City, has been identified as the leader of the illegal ring, the police said.

The investigation agency determined the transnational organ trafficking ring had been operating since May 2017 and provided about 100 people with kidneys, Lao Động (Labour) newspaper reported.

The ring was busted on January 21.

During that time, Huyền and her accomplices allegedly searched for people who wanted to sell a kidney on Facebook.

After that, kidney sellers were offered health check-ups in Việt Nam and then taken to Cambodia for the surgery.

Huyền previously sold her own kidney, then became a broker and the leader of this ring.

Each person who sold a kidney to Huyền would receive VNĐ200-210 million (US$8,700-9,100).

The amount that this group obtained from each successful kidney sale ranged from $15,000 to $17,000 while successful brokers received from VNĐ20 to 25 million.

Earlier, on January 31, the investigation agency launched criminal proceedings against Huyền and her accomplices.

All of them admitted their illegal acts, police said. — VNS