Court considers request to impound assets of human organ trafficking cell members

The Cairo Criminal Court has set Monday session to look into a request by the public prosecution to freeze the assets of 25 people - including eight professors, two doctors, nurses and agents - accused of forming an international cell of human organ trafficking.

Under the freeze order, defendants will be denied access to their assets and property, including real estates, bank accounts, deposits and treasury bonds.

Earlier, the court remanded in custody 21 defendants for 15 days pending investigations, three others remanded for four days and one was released.

Investigations revealed that sick defendants came to Egypt under the guise of tourism and met the human organ trafficker.

Some defendants admitted transplanting human organs illegally.

The cell - comprising Egyptian and Arab nationals - exploited the difficult economic conditions of some Egyptians to sell their organs for chickenfeed of what the traffickers get.

Millions of dollars and Egyptian pounds were found with the detainees.

Source: MENA