The World Health Organization experts have revealed that the illegal trade in kidneys has risen to such a level that an estimated 10,000 black market operations involving purchased human organs now take place annually, or more than one an hour, the Guardian reported.

Patients, many of whom will go to China, India or Pakistan for surgery, can pay up to US$200,000 for a kidney to gangs who harvest organs from vulnerable, desperate people, sometimes for as little as US$5,000.

The vast sums to be made by both traffickers and surgeons have been underlined by the recent arrest by Israeli police of 10 people, suspected of belonging to an international organ trafficking ring and of committing extortion, tax fraud and grievous bodily harm.

Other illicit organ trafficking rings have also been uncovered in India and Pakistan.

(China.org.cn May 31, 2012)

據英國《衛報》報道，世界衛生組織專家表示，非法腎臟交易急速增長，據統計，在黑市上每年約有一萬次人體器官交易，或者說一年中每個小時都有器官交易發生。

許多病人前往中國、印度、巴基斯坦等國接受手術，最多會付給黑幫20萬美金以求一腎，而黑幫有時只給身體羸弱、走投無路的賣腎者5千美金作報酬。

以色列警方近日逮捕10名罪犯，他們涉嫌加入器官買賣跨國團伙，并犯有敲詐、騙稅及造成嚴重人身傷害等罪名，其間組織交易者和醫生的巨大利潤才得以揭曉。

在印度和巴基斯坦也相繼發現有非法器官買賣團伙。