The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money laundering investigation into a multi-state illegal organ trafficking network uncovered in Kanpur, expanding scrutiny from the alleged surgeries themselves to the financial structure that sustained the operation.
The agency has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following a 10-day preliminary inquiry. The probe focuses on tracing the proceeds generated by the alleged trafficking racket, freezing illegally acquired assets and dismantling the network’s economic based.
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Financial Trail Under Scanner
Officials said a four-member ED team has been assigned to investigate the syndicate’s financial operations. The agency is examining more than 40 bank accounts and related tax records linked to the suspects.
Investigators are attempting to map the movement of funds generated through the alleged organ trafficking activities. The inquiry is aimed at identifying financial beneficiaries, tracking transactions and locating assets allegedly acquired through the proceeds of crime.
The ED’s intervention follows the exposure of an organ trafficking racket that authorities say evolved into a large-scale operation spanning multiple locations.
Network Expanded Across Multiple Cities
The investigation was triggered after a raid at Ahuja Hospital in Keshavpuram, Kanpur. Authorities said the probe has since widened significantly and now covers nine hospitals across Delhi-NCR, Lucknow, Meerut and Dehradun.
According to investigators, the network allegedly targeted financially vulnerable young individuals and procured kidneys from impoverished donors for amounts ranging between ₹3.5 lakh and ₹5 lakh. The organs were then allegedly sold to domestic and foreign recipients for between ₹50 lakh and ₹90 lakh per transplant.
Officials stated that profits generated through the operation were routinely channelled into real estate investments and luxury lifestyles.
Arrests Made, More Suspects Being Tracked
Police have arrested 13 individuals in connection with the case, including hospital owners Dr Surjeet Singh Ahuja and Dr Preeti Ahuja, along with operating theatre technicians and key middlemen.
Among the central figures identified by investigators is 24-year-old Rohit Tiwari, who is accused of organising more than 30 illegal surgeries despite having only a high school education. Authorities alleged that he posed as a licensed doctor while coordinating operations.
Investigators said the network came under scrutiny after a payment dispute prompted a targeted MBA student from Bihar to alert authorities. The ED is now working alongside local police to audit hospital financial records and medical communication networks, while police teams continue efforts to trace six absconding doctors and technicians across the National Capital Region.
DCP (West) Qasim Abidi, who led the investigation into the racket, said the ED sought relevant records and was subsequently provided with the FIR and associated documents for further action.
