Organ Smuggling Racket Sent Indians to Iran on Tourist Visas, NIA Tells Parliament
Five Indians underwent organ transplants in Iranian hospitals; probe ongoing
New Delhi, Dec 10: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday informed Parliament that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating an organ smuggling racket in which five Indian citizens were taken to Iran on tourist visas and induced to undergo organ transplantation in return for financial gain.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the illegal transplants were conducted at hospitals in Iran. He added that the NIA registered the case in July last year and has since filed a chargesheet against four arrested accused under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The investigation is ongoing.
The disclosure has renewed focus on the rise of transnational trafficking networks that exploit Indians by luring them with promises of money or overseas employment an issue that has grown more pronounced in recent years.
Sharing official data, Rai said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded 32 victims trafficked for organ removal between 2019 and 2023, highlighting a persistent but under-reported criminal network operating across borders and preying on vulnerable individuals.
The minister’s statement comes amid broader concerns over expanding trafficking routes. In a separate case, the Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police Cyber Cell recently uncovered a network allegedly involved in sending Indian nationals to Myanmar, where they were forced to work in cyber-fraud centres under conditions described as “cyber-slavery.”
According to police, two accused—Danish Raja (24) from Delhi’s Bawana area and Harsh (30) from Faridabad, Haryana—were arrested in November. The case emerged after several Indians were rescued from a scam facility in Myawaddy, following a raid by Myanmar military authorities on October 22.
The rescued nationals were shifted to a humanitarian camp and later repatriated to India with assistance from the Indian Embassy in Myanmar, officials said.
