Beijing, Mar 1 (IANS): A gang of 16 people has been charged with running an illegal kidney transplant scam in the Chinese capital. The gang bought kidneys from more than 50 poor people and sold these to patients desperate for transplant.
Some 50 kidney sellers, most of them young and suffering from financial problems, sold their organs to the gang for 20,000 to 25,000 yuan (around $4,000) each, the China Daily reported.
The kidneys were then re-sold to patients waiting for a transplant for as much as 300,000 yuan (around $47,000) each.
The gang also includes licensed doctors.
The accused set up a clandestine clinic in a four-floor house in Haidian district of Beijing. The house was fitted with around 500,000 yuan worth of medical equipment.