The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday confirmed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing a human organ smuggling racket in which five Indian citizens were taken to Iran on tourist visas and persuaded to undergo organ transplantation in exchange for financial gain.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the transplants were carried out in hospitals in Iran. The NIA registered the case in July last year and has already filed a chargesheet against four arrested accused under relevant provisions of the IPC. The matter, he added, remains under further investigation.
The revelation places a sharper spotlight on the growing concerns around transnational trafficking networks that exploit Indians by offering money or overseas job opportunities, a trend that has intensified in recent years.
Organ trafficking data shows 32 victims rescued since 2019
Rai also informed Parliament that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has recorded 32 victims trafficked for the removal of organs between 2019 and 2023. The data underscores a persistent, if under-reported, criminal economy that continues to adapt across borders, often taking advantage of vulnerable individuals seeking quick financial gains.
Recent cyber-slavery case highlights widening trafficking routes
The minister’s disclosure comes close on the heels of another transnational trafficking case exposed by the Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police Cyber Cell in November.
According to ANI inputs, IFSO arrested two men, Danish Raja, 24, from Bawana in Delhi and Harsh, 30, from Faridabad in Haryana, for allegedly operating a network that lured young Indians to Myanmar and forced them to work in cyber-fraud centres under what officials described as “cyber-slavery”.
The arrests followed the repatriation of several Indian nationals rescued from a scam facility in Myawaddy after Myanmar military authorities raided the compound on October 22. The victims were later moved to a humanitarian camp and flown back to India with assistance from the Indian Embassy in Myanmar.