Egypt arrests 41 over alleged organ-trafficking ring

Egyptian authorities said on Tuesday that they had broken up a major organ-trafficking ring, arresting 41 people including doctors, nurses and university professors. The suspects had profited from the desperation of poor citizens to buy their kidneys for "immense sums," the Administrative Audit Authority said.

They had then carried out organ transplants on Egyptian and foreign patients in insanitary conditions, leading to a number of deaths, it added.

Raids on suspect premises had recovered documentary evidence as well as large sums of money, the authority said.

Those arrested included professors in Egypt's top two medical faculties, at Cairo and Ain Shams universities, state-owned news site Ahram Online reported, citing a statement from the Health Ministry.    (dpa)

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