Guwahati, July 13: Assam Police have busted an illegal kidney trade racket that was being carried out in the state’s Morigaon district by a mother-son duo.
According to sources, the accused offenders were carrying out the illegal kidney trade unlawfully at Dakshin Dhatamtul village in Central Assam’s Morigaon district. In order to execute their plan, they would lure poor villagers living below the poverty line to sell their kidneys.
They would be promised hefty sums of money ranging between 4 to 5 lakh rupees if they ‘donated’ their renal organs to the ‘sick’ and to some organizations.
At least 20 villagers are believed to have sold off one kidney each having been lured into the offenders’ plan. All the victims live a life below the poverty line. Some wanted the money to earn a little more, while some to pay off loans.
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The illicit activity came to light when some villagers grew suspicious of the presence of the mother-son duo in the village. Them visiting houses on Saturday in search of prospective kidney sellers, luring poor families at the same time to sell a kidney each at the cost of some money is what made them grow suspicious.
The locals handed over both the accused to the police later on. Both the accused together with their accomplices have been arrested by the police.