EU prosecutors indicted seven people for trafficking kidneys through a clinic in Kosovo.

The trafficking in organs took place in 2008 at the Medicus clinic.

The organized criminal group led by Kosovo Albanians trafficked people into Kosovo for the purpose of using their organs for transplants to other people.

Various nationalities have lost or gained an organ.

Interpol arrest warrants in connection with the case have also been issued for a Turkish and an Israeli national.

Senior spokesperson for EULEX, EU justice mission, did not comment on whether this case is related to the organ traffic case involving Kosovo Albanian gunmen who kidnapped Serbs and extracted their organs in a house in Albania.

Spokesperson  Karin Limdal said that judges are expected to confirm the indictment by the end of the month.

Local Albanian media says that victims were recruited in other countries such as Moldova, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Russia and then transported and received at Pristina Airport through the false promise of payments for the removal of their kidneys.

“These victims were recruited in other countries, then transported and received at Pristina Airport through the false promise of payments for the removal of their kidneys,” EU prosecutor Jonathan Ratel is quoted by AP

Among the indicted is indicted is Kosovo Albanian Ilir Rrecaj who is former senior health ministry official for the Kosovo separatist government.

The criminal group was led by a Kosovo Albanian surgeon who recruited a Turkish doctor to help him perform the organ transplants at Medicus, a private clinic, which has since closed down.

An Israeli citizen was allegedly involved in “identifying, recruiting and transporting victims” and “ensuring the delivery of cash payments by electronic bank transfer” prior to surgery.

November 12, 2010
SERBIANNA

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