Kathmandu, 13 Aug: Five victims have filed complaints with police, alleging that they were lured from Nepal to India and had their kidneys removed.
One victim is from Sindhuli, two from Kavre, and two from Nuwakot. They submitted their complaints to the Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau on Tuesday.
They have named three people currently in police custody, accusing them of taking them to India under false pretenses and removing their kidneys.
On August 6, after Khil Bahadur Bhujel of Dudhauli Municipality-1, Sindhuli, filed a complaint, the Bureau arrested three suspects:
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Rajkumar Pariyar (also known as Kumar), 35, from Panchkhal Municipality-10, Kavre
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Samir Nepali, 24, from Belkotgadhi Municipality-9, Nuwakot
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Rakesh Nepali, 47, from Belkotgadhi Municipality-4, Nuwakot
Another individual is also in Bureau custody for investigation, but his name has not been disclosed since he was not directly named in the formal complaint, according to Bureau SSP Krishna Pangeni.
Police believe a wider network is involved and that many more people may have been lured to India for kidney removal. Authorities have urged other victims to contact the Bureau.
According to SSP Pangeni, preliminary investigations indicate that the arrested group has been trafficking Nepalis to India for kidney removal for the past 4–5 years.
He said the investigation had found that not just one or two, but a large number of cross-border individuals were involved in selling the kidneys of unsuspecting Nepalis. According to SSP Pangeni, many of those linked to this case had themselves previously sold a kidney.
“Those who sold their kidneys and returned were seen joining the crime,” an officer from the Bureau said.
It was found that they operated in teams.
“One group in the network was responsible for luring people from various parts of Nepal and convincing them to go to India. They would target people in poor economic condition, those who used drugs or alcohol, and the unemployed,” the officer explained. “By offering jobs and covering all travel expenses to India, they managed to lure people who were struggling to find work here.”
Once someone agreed to go, that group would hand the person over to another group.
This second group would take them to India, covering all expenses and transporting them by road across the border, according to investigators.
After crossing the border, they would be lodged in a rented hotel room in India. A separate team was in charge of managing those brought from Nepal.
Investigations revealed that this team worked in coordination with various hospitals to remove the kidneys.
The arrested suspects admitted they had been doing this for the past 4–5 years. They told police they had taken 10–12 people each to India for kidney removal, with more than 10 people taken just this year alone. Khil Bahadur was also taken to India by Samir and Kumar.
The exact number of members in the network is still unknown. Operating from both countries, they manage the entire process of selling kidneys, which is why the case is being treated as organized crime.
Authorities are working to locate the other suspects, including those currently in India, with help from relevant agencies.
“During the investigation, we found similar cases had been reported in the past,” SSP Pangeni said.
In September 2024 (Bhadra 2081), a complaint had been filed alleging that a kidney was removed in India using a fake relationship certificate. Both the victim and the perpetrator in that case were from Kavre.
Whether the people in that earlier case belong to the same network has yet to be confirmed, SSP Pangeni added.
