An alleged organ trafficking network operating under the cover of medical tourism in Kerala has come under intense scrutiny following an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to the agency, the racket exploited financially vulnerable individuals by persuading them to donate organs in exchange for money, while charging significantly higher amounts from recipients seeking transplants. Investigators claim the operation functioned through a well-organized network involving agents, intermediaries, and individuals responsible for creating forged documentation.
The ED recently conducted searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at nine premises across the state, including multiple multi-specialty hospitals in Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Kottayam. The raids led to the seizure of suspected transplant-related records, donor registries, internal approvals, digital evidence, and financial transaction sheets. The agency has also taken steps to trace the alleged proceeds of crime by freezing the bank accounts of various agents and intermediaries linked to the network.
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The Medical Tourism Front Company
The enforcement action followed an extensive police investigation that uncovered the suspected trafficking network, leading to multiple First Information Reports (FIRs). Several individuals, including the alleged kingpin Mohammed Najeeb Kallatra (a native of Kasaragod) and his associate Rashida A.A., have been arrested. Investigators allege that the group used legitimate-looking organ donation and medical tourism procedures as a cover while conducting illegal transplant-related activities for massive financial gain.
The fraudulent transactional matrix operated via a continuous lifecycle, beginning with debt profiling. A domestic network of brokers targeted financially distressed individuals overwhelmed by local debts.
Following identification, the process moved to inventory exploitation. The syndicate secured organ donations by offering vulnerable individuals a minimal payout ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹15 lakh.
The loop concluded with retail inflation routing, where desperate recipients needing immediate transplants were charged between ₹20 lakh and ₹35 lakh or more, with the massive margin pocketed directly by the intermediaries and subsequently laundered into real estate assets.
Forged Altruism Certificates and Local Studios
Authorities further allege that extensive use of forged documents helped the operation appear completely legitimate. To bypass strict statutory checks managed by district-level authorization committees, the syndicate prepared fake altruism certificates, fabricated medical lab reports, and doctor stamps. They even misused blank letterheads in the names of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to construct fake claims of voluntary kinship or close humanitarian connections between the donor and recipient.
According to investigators, these identity-related records were manufactured with the assistance of local setups, specifically naming Sun Communications DTP Centre and Sign HD Digital Studio located in the Pallikkara region of Ernakulam. The fabricated paperwork allowed the accused to successfully execute over 20 dubious transplantation procedures across several prominent regional private medical centers.
SIT and ED Parallel Forensic Tracking
The investigation remains a coordinated multi-agency effort. While the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala Police continues to probe the core criminal conspiracy, human trafficking angles, and local forgery chains, the ED’s Kochi Zonal Unit is focusing heavily on the financial layering of the proceeds.
Sleuths are currently auditing the bank trails of Kallatharas Medical Tourism Private Limited, the primary front entity utilized by Najeeb to operate the racket between 2021 and 2026. Investigators are cross-referencing banking transactions to detect potential collusion or administrative oversight failures within the empanelled hospital networks, aiming to isolate every ultimate beneficiary involved in the multi-crore enterprise.
