Authorities in Japan have made their first arrest related to the illegal facilitation of overseas organ transplants for payment. A man in his 70s received a kidney transplant from a local woman in Cambodia, arranged by a trafficking group, with the surgery performed by a Chinese doctor. The patient paid a total of 37 million yen (approximately $340,000) to the facilitating organization and local medical staff. Investigations revealed that a significant portion of the money paid to the traffickers was used to settle personal debts.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, three individuals were arrested on July 7, including Hirohichi Kikuchi, 66, former chairman of the NPO 'Support Group for Patients with Incurable Diseases,' Takaki Ando, 66, representative of the 'International Medical Consultation Office,' and Kikuchi's son, Mitsuru, 42. This marks the first instance of paid organ trafficking being uncovered since the Organ Transplant Law was enacted in 1997.
The police allege that from November 2022 to January 2023, the three facilitated the kidney transplant for the Tokyo resident and collected 12.36 million yen as a commission and doctor’s fee. The police have not disclosed whether the suspects have admitted to the charges.
The patient transferred 3 million yen to the International Medical Consultation Office as an administrative fee and 9.36 million yen to Kikuchi’s account as a 'surgeon’s fee.' Most of the funds deposited into Kikuchi's account were reportedly used to pay off personal debts.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), the patient also paid a local Chinese coordinator in Cambodia $157,500 (about 25 million yen at the time) for medical expenses. Combining this with the 12.36 million yen previously paid, the total amount disbursed reached approximately 37 million yen.
The police believe the transplant surgery took place in January 2023 at the Preah Ket Meala Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a Chinese doctor performing the procedure. The kidney donor is presumed to be a woman in her 20s from Cambodia. The Asahi Shimbun reported that the patient met the donor the day before the surgery and stated during police questioning, 'I was unable to find a donor after my relatives refused to provide an organ. I was aware it was illegal.'
The hospital where the surgery occurred has previously been identified as a site for international organ trafficking. The Asahi reported that Indonesian police arrested 12 individuals in 2023 for facilitating kidney sales at this hospital. Investigations revealed that since around 2019, 122 Indonesians traveled to Cambodia to provide kidneys for about 1.27 million yen each. The hospital denied any connection to the previous incidents.
Illegal Organ Transplants
Kikuchi has a history of illegally facilitating overseas organ transplants. He was arrested in 2023 for arranging unauthorized organ transplants in Belarus while serving as chairman of the NPO 'Support Group for Patients with Incurable Diseases.' After being released on bail, he established the International Medical Consultation Office in March 2024 to continue recruiting patients seeking transplants abroad. He was sentenced to eight months in prison for the Belarus case and has been incarcerated since January 2024.
The International Medical Consultation Office advertised on its website that 'kidney transplants are routinely performed overseas.' According to the Nikkei, Kikuchi and others explained to patients during consultations that 'this is support, not facilitation, so it is not illegal.' The police are expanding their investigation, suspecting that they may have facilitated transplants for several other patients in Cambodia.
Organ transplants require ongoing care beyond the initial surgery. Patients must take immunosuppressants to prevent organ rejection and receive regular check-ups to monitor for infections or complications. However, a doctor interviewed by the Yomiuri Shimbun noted that medical institutions often hesitate to treat patients suspected of illegal transplants, leading to many being refused care. In most cases, there are no medical records from the surgery, making it difficult to receive appropriate treatment.
In fact, a woman who received a kidney transplant in Cambodia through the same organization was refused treatment at three medical facilities upon her return. She was only able to receive care at a fourth facility after being told they would treat her but would report her to the police.
While patients who receive transplants abroad require ongoing treatment after returning home, the Japanese government lacks a comprehensive understanding of the realities surrounding overseas transplants. In contrast, South Korea mandates that individuals who have received organ transplants abroad submit documentation regarding the medical institutions involved within 30 days of their return. The Yomiuri pointed out that Japan's government has insufficient mechanisms to verify the circumstances of overseas transplants and the potential for illegal organ trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Yomiuri highlighted Japan's severe shortage of organ donors as a contributing factor to the ongoing issue of overseas transplants. According to the Japan Organ Transplant Network, as of April this year, there are 16,980 patients waiting for transplants, with about 90% seeking kidney transplants. The average waiting time is approximately 15 years. In 2024, Japan is expected to have 1.13 organ donors per million people, significantly lower than the 49.7 in the United States and 7.68 in South Korea.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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