Hyderabad: Kerala special police teams reportedly arrested an organ mafia kingpin, Bellamkonda Ram Prasad aka Prathapan, 41, the mastermind behind the international human trafficking network involved in organ harvesting, from his hideout in a city hotel on Saturday.
Prasad had fled from Ernakulam and had planned to settle down in Hyderabad for which he took a house on rent in Chintal Basti, Khairatabad, on the first floor. On the ground floor, he opened a clinic in the name of a city doctor, police sources said.
Eranukalam police tracked Prasad in the city, took him into custody and flew him to Ernakulam for further investigation the same day.
Ram Prasad reportedly used the clinic and the real doctor's identity as a shield for organ trade and other illegal activities, police sources said.
After zeroing in on people from Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, he would convince the victim-donors and send them to Iran, where the donors were operated by another Keralite, Sabith Nasar. Each of the victims would be paid up to `10 lakh.
Incidentally, it was Nasar, recently arrested by Kerala police, who had revealed Ram Prasad’s name and shocking details about the international organ transplant gang.
Kerala police came across details of the recipients through social media. They were charged between `50 lakh and `1 crore, which also covered surgery costs.
Details of Prasad’s and the racket were disclosed by Ernakulam Rural SP Vaibhav Saxena in Kochi on Sunday.
“In certain sensitive cases, investigation officers from other states can arrest or detain wanted criminals without informing local police. Kerala police might have informed our top officials as it is a sensitive case”, said Khairatabad inspector S. Rajashekar.
