A Turkish court on Monday arrested nine individuals, including four Israelis, in connection with an illicit organ trafficking ring, the Cumhuriyet daily and the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The arrests are part of a broader crackdown on an organ trade network that reportedly spans several countries.
The operation was initiated by police in Turkey’s southern Adana province after officials observed suspicious activity among a group who entered the country claiming to be on a health tourism trip.
Investigations revealed that two Syrian nationals among the group carried forged passports.
Further investigation uncovered that the Syrians had allegedly agreed to sell their kidneys to the Israeli nationals for transplants that were scheduled to take place in Adana. The suspects, aged between 20 and 68, include Syrian individuals identified only as A.S., age 20, and Z.M.Z., age 21. The Israeli recipients were identified as S.A.S., 68, and E.A.M., 28.
During raids on multiple residences, police seized $65,000, 10,400 Turkish lira and 994 Israeli shekels along with numerous fake passports and digital materials.
The investigation highlighted the role of a tourism agency owner, identified only as M.A.U., age 58, who allegedly facilitated the logistics of the operation within Turkey. This individual, along with other suspects from Turkey and Israel, orchestrated the arrangements that spanned Turkey, Syria and Israel.
The detainees face charges related to people smuggling and forgery, among other offenses. After police procedures, 11 suspects were taken to court; however, two were released under judicial control measures while the remaining nine were arrested pending trial.
“With a generally well-educated population of 7.4 million and a modern medical system, Israel has an acute shortage of organs, in part because of religious beliefs. Just 12 percent of Israelis are registered donors, meaning they have consented to let their organs be used for transplants after they die, according to the Israeli National Transplant Center,” Bloomberg reported in 2011, outlining an organ-trafficking network reaching through former Soviet republics like Azerbaijan, Belarus and Moldova as well as Brazil, the Philippines, South Africa and beyond, from where organs headed largely to Israel.