Police in Ho Chi Minh City announced on Tuesday that they busted an illegal kidney trading network responsible for 28 transactions, resulting in profits of VND12 billion (US$488,600).

Investigators in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City initiated legal proceedings against and apprehended four people over allegations of trading human body parts.

They were Bui Tien Luc, 37, from northern Ninh Binh Province, Nguyen Thanh Phong, 33, residing in southern Kien Giang Province, Tran Thanh Hoa, 32, living in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, and Phan Thanh Hai, 27, residing in Dong Nai Province, neighboring Ho Chi Minh City.

Earlier, the Ho Chi Minh City Police joined hands with their colleagues in Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, and Hung Yen Provinces in northern Vietnam, north-central Ha Tinh Province, Quang Nam and Binh Dinh Provinces in the central region, and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai and Kien Giang Provinces to collect evidence and arrest the four.

In 2017, Luc wrote on social media that he wanted to sell his kidney to earn money. A man with unknown identity contacted him to buy the kidney at VND250 million ($10,115).

Luc traveled to Ho Chi Minh City to sell his kidney and got acquainted with Hoa, Phong, and Hai.

In early 2022, the four established a kidney trading network as they knew the demand for kidney transplants was huge.

They looked for those wishing to sell kidneys and meeting the requirements on blood types, ages, and places of birth set by those seeking for kidneys, then negotiated the prices.

They asked those wanting to sell kidneys to undergo tests and covered their living expenses pending kidney removal surgeries.

To escape hospitals’ notice, they counterfeited papers, such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, and local authorities’ confirmation, so that patients could have their kidneys removed out of their bodies or receive the kidneys.

Among the 28 kidney transactions, 13 kidneys were successfully transplanted into buyers.

They collected VND400 million ($16,168) to over VND1.1 billion ($44,527) each but paid VND260-400 million ($10,524-16,168) to each of the kidney sellers, illegally earning VND12 billion ($488,600).

The Binh Chanh District Police are expanding the investigation into the case and will impose heavy sanctions on the people involved in line with the law.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!