Trial of international organ traffickers linked to Israel begins

11 September 2017, 9:19 pm

Edit

A trial of four doctors and a Greek pizzeria owner accused of running an illegal organ trafficking ring in Costa Rica for wealthy foreigners begins in the capital San Jose.

The five allegedly sought out poor people willing to sell their kidneys for between $6,000 and $20,000, mostly to Israelis but also to European clients willing to pay as much as $100,000 each.

Surgeries to remove the organs were allegedly carried out in some of the many private clinics in Costa Rica that each year attract thousands of foreigners for cheap medical tourism.

The trial is expected to run through November 30, with a bench of three judges deciding the verdict.

— AFP