Uzbekistan Dismantles Criminal Group Involved in Organ Trafficking

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Authorities in Uzbekistan have uncovered an organized criminal group engaged in the trafficking of human organs and tissues.

As a result of coordinated investigative operations carried out by the State Security Service in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the activities of a 12-member group were halted. The suspects resided in Tashkent as well as in the Tashkent, Fergana, Bukhara, and Kashkadarya regions.

The perpetrators used social networks to identify patients with severe kidney and liver diseases and persuaded healthy individuals to sell their organs for financial compensation. With the help of acquaintances abroad, they forged documents claiming donors were “relatives” and arranged transplant operations at a private clinic in a neighboring country.

Between 2023 and 2025, 32 patients underwent kidney or liver tissue transplants. A significant portion of the payments received from patients went to the clinic and donors, with the remainder distributed among the group members. Moreover, after surgeries, if patients’ conditions did not improve, the criminals sold them powerful medications at inflated prices.

Criminal cases have been initiated against the group members under Articles 133-1, 228, 246, and 273 of the Criminal Code, and the case files have been forwarded to the court.

Law enforcement authorities urge citizens affected by this or any other criminal group to immediately contact local police or call 102.