A criminal network involved in the illegal trade of human organs has been uncovered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The group recruited potential donors through social media platforms and sent them to Tajikistan for transplant operations, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

Recruitment Through Social Media

Investigators say the suspected organizer, a previously convicted 37-year-old man, acted together with his wife. The couple reportedly used platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, and YouTube to post videos framed as calls for help or charity appeals.

Through these accounts, they targeted individuals in severe financial hardship and offered them money in exchange for selling their organs. A separate specialist was involved in promoting and managing the online accounts.

Operations Conducted in Dushanbe

Law enforcement agencies state that both donors and recipients were transported to Tajikistan, where transplant procedures were reportedly carried out at the Istiklol Clinic in Dushanbe.

Authorities also revealed that the organizer had previously undergone a kidney transplant himself and may have used his personal experience to coordinate the scheme.

Criminal Case Opened

A criminal case has been launched under Article 133-1 (“Trafficking in Human Organs and Tissues”). The main suspect has been taken into custody, while investigators continue to identify other possible participants and additional cases linked to the network.