(From left to right) Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, Lê Xuân Lĩnh and Nguyễn Mạnh Thắng. The police have started legal proceedings against the three people for allegedly trafficking human organs. — Photo phunuvietnam.vn

HÀ NỘI — Police of Hà Nội's Hà Đông District on Sunday said they had started legal proceedings against three people for allegedly trafficking human organs.

Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, 40 from Quảng Ninh Province, Nguyễn Mạnh Thắng, 33 from Hà Nam Province and Lê Xuân Lĩnh, 38, from Nghệ An Province have been detained pending further investigation.

According to the initial investigation, Hùng acted as a broker in several cases including a kidney transplant conducted on December 26 last year. The seller was reportedly Đỗ Văn S, 27, from Thái Bình Province and the buyer Nguyễn Thị Thu H, 41, from Nghệ An Province.

On April 8, this year, Hùng also allegedly acted as the broker between kidney buyer Nguyễn Văn H, 29, from Hà Tĩnh Province and seller Nguyễn Bá N, 32, from Hà Nội’s Chương Mỹ District.

Through social media, Thắng reportedly learned 30-year-old named Ng from Hà Nam Province was on dialysis and wanted to purchase a kidney for a transplant while 48-year-old named Th from Bắc Giang was willing to sell his kidney. Thắng then acted as the intermediary and collected VNĐ150 million (US$6,500) commission.

Thắng is thought to have previously sold one of his kidneys and then began working as a broker.

On March 18 this year, Lĩnh allegedly acted as a broker for a transaction between the seller – Lê Thị Q, 39 from Phú Thọ Province and buyer – Ngô Thanh T, 42, from Quảng Ninh Province. He is thought to have pocketed VNĐ100 million ($4,320).

The case is under further investigation. — VNS