Case of trafficking, organ theft in Iran: NIA probes accused’s health club in Kerala

The NIA is investigating an international organ trafficking network led by Madhu Jayakumar, who allegedly trafficked people to Iran for forced kidney removal. A Kochi-based health club and linked bank accounts were used to channel funds, with transactions traced across multiple states

Kochi: The NIA is probing the activities of a health club in Kerala started by the accused in the case of alleged trafficking of people to Iran to harvest organs, an affidavit filed by national agency in a court revealed.

According to an affidavit filed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking custody of the prime accused in trafficking case, Madhu Jayakumar of Vattathipadam, Palarivattom, he and three other accused were collecting money through an account in the name of Stemma Club maintained with South Indian Bank, NIA court’s order granting custody stated.

---

Jayakumar, who had been staying in Iran, was arrested upon his arrival on November 7.

The NIA court granted his custody to the anti-terror agency from November 12 to November 19.

In the affidavit NIA has claimed that the accused persons trafficked people to Iran to harvest their organs after first inducing them with money later with threatening, the court order said.

Trafficked persons were forced to give their kidneys in life threatening situation, the affidavit as quoted by the court order said.

“Thereby, all the accused extorted huge sums of money and amassed illegal wealth in the form of money, crypto assets and landed properties, and thus they committed the offence pursuant to their criminal conspiracy,” the NIA affidavit claimed.

Meanwhile, sources in NIA stated that their investigation shows that organ donors were primarily from Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and the organ recipients were from various North Indian states, with the network charging up to Rs 50 lakh per transplant.

The NIA affidavit as referred by the court said that Jayakumar was the kingpin of the international organ trade.

According to sources, Stemma Club was a health club run by Jayakumar in Kochi with the support of co-accused Sabith Nasar of Thrissur and Sajith Shyam of Kalamassery, who were also arrested in the case.

The account was used to transfer funds received from the organ trade in Iran, and it is attached along with other properties of the accused, sources said.

NIA had traced Rs 6 crore of transactions in a bank account operated by Sabith, they added.

It was on 18 May 2024 that Sabith was intercepted by immigration officials at Kochi airport on suspicion of being part of an organised organ trafficking network.

Later, a police probe led to the arrest of Sajith and Bellankonda Ram Prasad, a Vijayawada native.

The arrest of Jayakumar helped the NIA to unearth the operations of the network in Iran and details about the number of people who underwent organ transplant surgery abroad, officials said.