By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Indonesian immigration authorities at Surabaya’s Juanda Airport in East Java stopped five local residents from boarding flights to India on Saturday, suspecting they were attempting to sell their organs.
During routine checks, one individual claimed he was travelling for medical treatment but failed to provide details. A review of his documents and communications revealed links to an illegal kidney transplant scheme.
Surabaya Class 1 Special Immigration Office head Ramdhani in a statement on Monday said the man had initially claimed he was travelling to India for his wife’s medical care, but further investigation revealed a different motive.
“We found links to illegal organ transplants and determined that this was not an isolated case,” he said, adding that four other individuals were found to be in similar activities.
As a result, all five individuals were prevented from boarding their flights, and further investigation uncovered evidence of a structured network potentially involved in facilitating illegal organ sales.
“They were connected to donors, intermediaries, and used online platforms to arrange these illegal transactions,” Ramdhani added.
Authorities have launched a full investigation, including a review of the suspects’ travel histories, as they work to prevent human trafficking and safeguard Indonesia’s borders.
-- BERNAMA
