written by DW Staff, Reuters, AFP, AP
Tuesday December 6, 2016
Doctors at prestigious universities are accused of working in the smuggling network. Investigators said they seized large sums of money and gold bullion.
A powerful Egyptian anti-corruption body said Tuesday it had uncovered an international criminal network involving universities and hospitals that smuggled human body parts.
Investigators seized millions of dollars and arrested up to 45 people including doctors, university professors, medical workers, owners of medical centers, intermediaries and brokers, the Administrative Control Authority, which conducted the investigation alongside the Health Ministry, said.
"Today at dawn, the largest international network for trading human organs has been captured," the authority said in a statement on its website.
"The accused who were arrested exploited the economic situation of some Egyptians and the suffering of some patients and their need for treatment to take large financial sums from them, thus breaking the law," the ministry said.
Authorities said they raided 10 medical centers and laboratories, seizing documents and computers with organ trading information.
Illegal trade
The investigation focused on a group of private hospitals and health centers, both licensed and unlicensed, where transplants and organ harvesting allegedly took place.
The facilities were shut down and the doctors suspended, pending the investigation.
Some of the doctors arrested worked in the medical faculties of well-known institutions such as Cairo and Ain Shams universities.
The ministry did not specify the scale of the operation or the amount of money seized.
Egypt passed a law in 2010 forbidding the purchase of human organs, and transplants between Egyptians and foreigners, except between marital partners.
The World Health Organization said at the time Egypt was one of the top five countries for illegal organ trading.
Hundreds of poor Egyptians sell their organs each year to pay for food and debts, according to the United Nations.
Asharq-Alawsat News
written by Mohamed Abdu Hassanein
Wednesday December 7, 2016
Cairo- Egyptian authorities announced on Tuesday the successful arrest of what is considered the largest Egyptian international organ trafficking ring.
The network including both Egyptians and Arabs has pivoted its work on exploiting difficult economic conditions suffered by some patients.
The health ministry revealed that the suspects include professors working in the faculties of medicine in both Cairo and Ain Shams universities and doctors working in Ahmed Maher teaching hospital, the National Institute of Urology and Nephrology as well some privately-owned labs.
According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Health, the Administrative Control Authority and the ministry led the arrest of 45 suspects including university professors, doctors, nurses, medical center owners and brokers involved in illegal organ trafficking.
The statement added that the ring would exploit the poor economic circumstances of Egyptians, who would sell their organs for cheap prices, allowing members of the ring to make fortunes.
Public prosecution has ordered an investigation into the case.
On the other hand, armed forces killed eight radicals and arrested four of their affiliates. Armed forces gave a statement on Tuesday saying that the arrests were made after extensive and relentless raiding of extremist hideouts across north Sinai.
During raids, stocks of explosives and arms were destroyed along with several buildings formerly militarized by a terror ring.
A state of both tension and confusion caused by intense terror attacks continues to spread north of Siani.
Most of the attacks are carried out against the army and police forces, and have escalated since the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
The House of Representatives passed last month on a presidential order extending the state of emergency in parts of Sinai.
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