Polish police have brought charges against 23 Poles suspected of offering organs for sale during the first large-scale operation against organ trafficking, Poland’s Police Headquarters reported on Friday.
“This is the first large-scale operation against the trafficking of organs [in Poland],” Polish Press Agency quoted police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski as saying.
According to a police statement, about 80 police departments took part in the operation which revealed 250 authors of internet ads offering organs for sale, mainly kidneys. Out of 150 people who had been questioned in the case, 23 were charged of suspected organ trafficking, police said.
The police however did not say if there was any criminal gang involvement in regard to the suspects with one another.
According to the Polish legislation, the publishing of organs sale ads is punishable by one-year imprisonment.
