The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Islamabad Zone has busted an organised illegal kidney transplant racket, arrested five suspects and frozen properties worth Rs 87.5 million following a joint operation with the Human Organ Transplant Authority (HOTA) in a Society, Islamabad.
An FIA official told APP on Friday that the Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad conducted the raid and arrested three suspects on the spot, while two others were arrested later. A court granted seven-day physical remand of the arrested suspects.
He said the agency also recovered Rs 1 million in cash, seized three vehicles and sealed the illegal transplant facility.
During the investigation, it was revealed that a kidney belonging to donor Ramzan Arshad had allegedly been transplanted into recipient Muhammad Qasim against a payment of Rs 3 million.
The official said agents had arranged the donor and promised him Rs 400,000, of which Rs 340,000 was to be paid to the donor, while Rs 60,000 was to be shared among three agents as commission.
He said the suspects were allegedly carrying out kidney transplants in residential houses without the required medical qualifications or approval.
The investigation revealed that the group arranged medical tests, including tissue typing, cross-matching, PRA and HLA tests, through agents at a hospital.
To avoid detection, the suspects allegedly used fake referral letters and submitted donor samples under the names of relatives of kidney recipients to make the transplants appear legally approved.
The official said dialysis services were arranged through a hospital technician in Islamabad, while patients developing complications after transplantation were referred to another hospital.
He said the network allegedly included agents, a doctor, a nurse, an anaesthesia provider, medicine suppliers and individuals arranging laboratory tests and dialysis services.
The group had reportedly operated from private locations and Peshawar. Giving details of the financial investigation, the official said the suspects had allegedly purchased expensive properties in Islamabad using money earned through illegal kidney transplants.
One suspect purchased a 10-marla house in Media Town for Rs 62.5 million, while another bought a five-marla house in Jinnah Garden Phase 1 for Rs 25 million.
He said the transfer of both properties, worth a total of Rs 87.5 million, had been frozen through notices issued under Section 5 of the FIA Act, 1974.
Letters had also been sent to banks to obtain the financial records of the suspects, while separate money laundering proceedings against two suspects were under consideration.
The official said three vehicles, including a Changan Oshan X7 and two Honda Civics, were seized, while their transfer and registration had been frozen through the relevant excise authorities.
Teams from HOTA, the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) also inspected the illegal facility and would submit separate reports.
The operation was conducted on the directions of the Director FIA Islamabad Zone under the supervision of the Deputy Director, Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad.
The FIA team included Sub-Inspectors Tabish Javed, Shehryar and Ehtisham Gondal, Assistant Sub-Inspector Sohail Ahmed and LFC Rubab. HOTA officials Sardar Adil and Hina Kanwal also participated in the operation.
The official said raids were continuing at different locations to arrest the remaining nominated suspects.
A case was registered under FIR No. 60/2026, dated October 15, 2026, under Sections 9, 10 and 11(a)(ii) of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 2010, along with Sections 34, 419 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Further investigation was underway.