Kochi: Sabith Nasar, the Keralite involved in an international organ trading racket who was nabbed from Kochi revealed that the kingpin of the racket is based in Hyderabad. Manorama News reported the probe team led by Aluva DySP collected the details of the kingpin from the accused during the interrogation. Hence, the investigation will be extended to Hyderabad in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the accused was subjected to a detailed interrogation by the National Investigation Agency and the Intelligence Bureau on Monday. The sleuths have so far collected details of the 30 persons who were trafficked abroad by the accused. Their investigation also revealed that Sabith had been granted a passport at an address where he had stayed on rent for only 10 days. Based on his statements, the investigation team has taken two more persons into custody.

Following the preliminary round of interrogations, Sabith was produced before the Angamaly First Class Magistrate Court and remanded. The investigation team has moved a petition seeking his custody for further questioning.

Though the Kerala police had been tipped off about the human trafficking by the central agencies, the NIA is yet to receive a directive to take over the probe. The investigation is currently being carried out by a police team led by Ernakulam Rural SP Dr. Vaibha Saxena. However, since the probe requires the collection of evidence in countries such as Iran and Kuwait, the state police face limitations in proceeding with the case.

With the racket reported to have taken victims abroad until a couple of weeks ago, the Ministry of External Affairs is believed to have initiated steps to prevent the trading of their organs, if not already donated.

Sabith Nasar, a native of Edamuttom in Thrissur, reportedly took people abroad for kidney transplants between January 2019 and May 2024. Most of these persons are from locations like Hyderabad and Bengaluru. According to police, Sabith made the victims believe that it was legal to donate organs in exchange for money.