Shocking body parts prices

A human liver can fetch $157,000, a small intestine sells for around $2,519, and a skull with teeth is valued at $1,200.

Corneas can command prices as high as $30,000, kidneys $200,000, while even a pint of blood is sold for $337. Alarmingly, any part of the human body, from skin to genitals, holds significant value on the black market. ASHLEY AISHA AINE writes.

A recent report by the U.S. Department of State has shed light on a disturbing and underreported form of human trafficking that is gaining traction in North and East Africa: trafficking in persons for organ removal. This grim industry, long shrouded in secrecy, is becoming an increasingly prevalent threat, with experts warning that it may be growing faster than previously understood.

Uganda, due to its vulnerable population and growing network of illicit labor recruiters, is rapidly becoming both a source and a destination for this harrowing trade.

THE HIDDEN INDUSTRY OF HUMAN ORGAN TRAFFICKING

Trafficking in persons for organ removal remains one of the least reported and least understood forms of human trafficking. Unlike sex trafficking or forced labor, organ trafficking often involves a single, quick transaction, making it difficult to detect and track. The U.S. Department of State’s report highlights that the clandestine nature of this practice is exacerbated by poor data collection and limited monitoring by responsible authorities.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), perpetrators commonly employ deceptive strategies likened to “hunting” and “fishing” to lure in victims. These strategies often target the most vulnerable members of society—the poor, elderly, and youth—by offering promises of financial relief or better job opportunities.

Victims are either coerced into selling their organs, primarily kidneys, or worse, murdered for their body parts. The report also notes an alarming shift in the modus operandi of traffickers. “Like other forms of trafficking, transactions have increasingly shifted online and become more sophisticated,” the report states.

This has led to the rise of smaller, decentralized networks and independent brokers, making detection and law enforcement intervention more challenging.

UGANDA’S GROWING ROLE IN ORGAN TRAFFICKING

Uganda is emerging as a significant player in this illicit trade, acting as a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking for organ removal. The country’s high levels of poverty, unemployment and social vulnerability create fertile ground for traffickers to exploit desperate individuals.

Fake labor agencies, often posing as legitimate recruiters, lure Ugandans with promises of high-paying jobs abroad. Many of these workers find themselves trapped in exploitative conditions, with some returning home after being subjected to horrific abuses, including the removal of their organs.

A chilling example of this was brought to light in a story broadcast by NTV Uganda. Judith Nakintu, a Ugandan domestic worker, was trafficked to Saudi Arabia by a Kiwatule-based labor- exporting company on December 12, 2019. Her family was shocked by the frail state in which she returned home. It was later discovered that Nakintu’s kidney had been harvested during her time abroad.

“She was abused and exploited,” her family reported, with the case becoming a classic example of trafficking in persons for organ removal. Many Ugandans fall prey to similar schemes, often orchestrated through seemingly legitimate online platforms. These fraudulent recruiters create polished websites and social media pages, advertising fake job opportunities that promise quick and easy money.

“Easy jobs! Earn $200 per hour. Sign up here,” reads one such scam circulating on social media. While some victims escape these scams with only their money stolen, others are less fortunate, suffering life-altering consequences that go unreported.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN FACILITATING TRAFFICKING

The report notes that technology has played a significant role in transforming the landscape of organ trafficking. With the rise of online platforms, traffickers can now operate more anonymously and efficiently. The internet provides a space for traffickers to advertise fake job opportunities, communicate with potential victims, and coordinate logistics with minimal risk of detection.

This shift has also led to the emergence of independent brokers and suppliers who operate outside traditional trafficking networks. These smaller, more agile groups are harder to track, making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies to dismantle trafficking operations.

The report emphasizes that the sophistication of these online networks is a significant barrier to combating organ trafficking, especially in countries like Uganda where cybercrime enforcement is still developing.

In mid-2023, a gruesome case in Kenya unveiled the horrifying extent of human trafficking for organ removal in East Africa. Two men, identified as Saheed and James, were arrested after confessing to the slaughter of over 70 girls, whose body parts they sold to a man named Abeffe Sadiq for 600,000 Kenyan shillings per victim.

This case, though shocking, is just the tip of the iceberg in a rapidly growing global black market for human organs—a trade that remains largely hidden from public view. A report by Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington, DC-based think tank focusing on corruption, illicit trade, and money laundering, estimated that trafficking in persons for organ removal generates between $840 million and $1.7 billion annually worldwide. Despite these staggering figures, the clandestine nature of the trade keeps it underreported and poorly understood.

THE HIGH-STAKES MARKET FOR HUMAN ORGANS

Kidneys are the most sought-after organs on the black market, valued at up to $200,000 due to high demand and the relatively straightforward surgical procedure required for transplantation. Uganda, with its high levels of poverty and vulnerable populations, is increasingly becoming both a source and transit country for trafficked organs.

A chilling incident in August 2024 underscored the extent of this illicit trade within Uganda. Three men travelling from Masaka city on a boda boda (registration UEK-422U) were involved in a minor accident on Kijjabwemi, Kyabakuza road. During the commotion, a small bucket they were transporting spilled onto the street, revealing what appeared to be fresh human organs.

According to police reports, the motorcycle rider claimed he was unaware of the contents or the destination of the cargo. One of the two other men fled the scene immediately and remains missing. However, the third man, a lab assistant who stayed behind, told police that the organs were being transported to Lancet Laboratories in Kampala.

Disturbingly, he described the transportation of human organs on a boda boda as a routine arrangement, highlighting the casual normalization of this illicit trade. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities probing deeper into the networks facilitating such operations.

A GROWING DEMAND AND DESPERATE SUPPLY

The global demand for organs is surging, exacerbating the exploitation of vulnerable populations. According to the Estimated Number of Worldwide Kidney Transplants report, the rate of kidney transplants reached 17.1 per million people in 2022, with a total of 102,090 kidney transplants performed worldwide that year.

By September 2024, nearly 90,000 people were on kidney transplant waiting lists globally. This overwhelming demand fuels the black market, with traffickers targeting the poorest and most marginalized communities. Evidence collected over decades shows that factors like poverty, marginalization, low educational backgrounds, disabilities, and dysfunctional family environments significantly increase the risk of individuals being targeted by traffickers.

The global organ trade operates under a chilling reality: every part of the human body has a price. A BBC reported that in Brazil, a 12-year-old girl was poised to sell five feet of her hair for $5,000, underscoring how human body parts—whether organs or hair—are commodified for profit.

In a world where the shortage of organs meets a surplus of vulnerable human beings, traffickers capitalize on the desperate, turning human lives into commodities. The trafficking of organs, often referred to as the “ninja trade,” thrives in secrecy. The victims, whether deceived, coerced, or forcibly taken, are left physically and emotionally scarred, while the perpetrators profit from the desperate need of patients on transplant waiting lists worldwide.

RACKET EXPOSED

A recent investigation aired on Nat Geo Wild by Mariana Van Zeller exposed a global online network dealing in human parts, with a focus on countries such as Uganda and Rwanda. During the interview, a trafficker listed the body parts he trades, including teeth, skin, brain tissue (stored in pens as decorations), hair, bones, kidneys, corneas, and even ears.

The black market for organs is shockingly lucrative. A human liver can fetch $157,000, a small intestine sells for around $2,519, and a skull with teeth is valued at $1,200. Corneas can command prices as high as $30,000, while even a pint of blood is sold for $337. Alarmingly, any part of the human body, from skin to genitals, holds significant value on the black market.

POVERTY AND CORRUPTION FUEL UGANDA’S ORGAN TRADE

Poverty is a primary driver behind the surge in human trafficking for organs in Uganda. Many Ugandans, struggling to make ends meet, see selling a kidney as a way out of financial hardship. According to global data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), self-referral is the most common method traffickers use to acquire victims.

In a small survey conducted by The Observer in downtown Kampala, when individuals were asked if they would sell a kidney for Shs 1 million (about $265), the majority eagerly agreed, with some even asking for the doctor to perform the surgery immediately.

The absence of strong law enforcement, particularly in rural areas, coupled with corruption among medical personnel, police officers, and immigration officials, allows the illegal organ trade to thrive. Victims often remain silent, believing they entered into these deals willingly, but the law exists to protect people—even from themselves.

While exact statistics on organ trafficking are hard to obtain due to the clandestine nature of the trade, reports indicate the problem is widespread. In 2023 alone, 1,698 victims of trafficking were identified in Uganda. However, the true number is likely much higher.

One of the most chilling cases occurred in August 2024, when Godfrey Ddamulira, a self-proclaimed healer, was discovered with 24 human skulls in his shrine.

Following a three-day search of his property, police recovered additional evidence, including a skull with fake eyes, a jawbone with teeth, 16 more skulls labeled with names, four human bones, 13 animal skins, a floral print panty, and military attire. Neighbors described Ddamulira as a quiet, humble man, expressing shock at his arrest. When questioned, he claimed that his agent sourced the skulls from Busoga.

Just two weeks prior to this incident, police in Mpigi raided a shrine in Kabanga village, recovering 17 human skulls linked to a man named Bbosa Tabula Lujja. These cases point to the existence of a hidden network supplying human remains across Uganda, with links likely extending to regional trafficking networks.

TECHNOLOGY AND TRAFFICKING: THE NEW FRONTIER

Much of the trafficking process has moved online, making detection even more difficult. Human traffickers are increasingly using modern communication technologies to exploit their victims, from recruiting vulnerable individuals to blackmailing them with compromising photos
and videos.

Several tech-based trafficking networks have been uncovered in countries like Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea and Mali, all targeting vulnerable populations in developing countries. UNODC has warned that the full scale of organ trafficking is likely much larger than current figures suggest. Between 2008 and 2022, UNODC reported 700 confirmed cases of trafficking for organ removal, but existing barriers to reporting mean that many cases go unrecorded.

A REGIONAL CRISIS: THE CASE OF KENYA

The crisis is not confined to Uganda. In neighboring Kenya, organ trafficking has also taken root. A chilling example is the case of 30-year-old Joseph Japiny from Oyugis town in Homa Bay county. Japiny was introduced to a broker named Jadot, who recruited young men into the kidney-harvesting underworld operating between Eldoret, Busia and Nairobi.

Japiny was promised $984 upfront and another $984 in the form of a Boxer motorcycle, which he could use as a boda boda taxi—a common occupation among young East African men. While Japiny saw this as a way to secure a livelihood, the dark reality is that a kidney on the black market can fetch up to $150,000.

The donor, however, only receives a fraction of this sum, with the majority of the profits going to corrupt doctors and organized crime networks facilitating the trade. The risks for donors extend far beyond financial exploitation. Recovery from such surgeries requires constant medical care, which is rarely provided in these illegal operations. Donors are left to deal with the physical and emotional aftermath, often without any support.

In 2022, authorities prosecuted 728 traffickers across 589 cases, with 103 individuals charged for unspecified forms of trafficking. The trend worsened in 2023, with the government reporting 1,006 incidents of human trafficking. Prosecutions were initiated in 494 cases, leading to charges against 589 alleged traffickers.

Despite these efforts, trafficking networks remain deeply embedded in both rural and urban areas, often operating in plain sight. A recent incident on the Northern Bypass in Kampala underscores the brazenness of traffickers and the challenges authorities face in curbing this crime. Passengers in a taxi stuck in heavy traffic observed an elderly man navigating between vehicles on a bicycle.

On the back of his bike was a sack, tightly tied and dripping blood. One passenger remarked, “That old man could be carrying a dead body in that sack, but no one would know.”

The comment, though seemingly offhand, reflects growing public awareness and fear surrounding the trafficking of human beings for various illicit purposes.

AUTHORITIES URGE CAUTION ON LABOR EXPORTATION

The ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) has reiterated its warnings to Ugandans seeking employment opportunities abroad. In response to the rising cases of human trafficking, particularly linked to fake labor export companies, the ministry has advised citizens to only engage with firms officially registered by the government.

“People should deal with companies registered by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD). If they are unsure about the sponsors, we advise them to consult with relevant authorities such as Internal Affairs, Uganda Police, Immigration, Foreign Affairs, or even local community leaders like the LCs for more information,” the ministry stated in a recent advisory.

SUPPORT FOR UGANDANS ABROAD

The government has also emphasized the importance of maintaining contact with Ugandan embassies and missions abroad. Any Ugandan facing difficulties or suspecting they are being trafficked is encouraged to reach out to the nearest embassy or consulate for assistance.

“Any Ugandan abroad should get in touch with the nearest embassy or mission and at the same time contact relatives and friends to reach out to us at Internal Affairs, MGLSD, Foreign Affairs, or the nearest police station to report the situation,” the ministry urged.