Organ Smuggling: A Transnational Crime
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/sajssh.2026.7403Keywords:
Organ smuggling, Trafficking, Black market, Transplants, Crime, Exploitation, Corruption, Syndicates, Laws, VulnerableAbstract
For every stolen organ, lies a story of exploitation and greed. Organ smuggling, the illegal removal and sale of human organs for transplantation, is distinguished from legal organ donations or transplant procedures, reasons being the taking place of unethical and illegal frameworks, driven by mostly a worldwide shortage of transplantable organs. Globally, this is a USD $1.7 billion market. In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) approximated that 5-10 per cent of all the transplants globally involved organs from the black market. This research work focuses on the historical background of the illegal organ trade, criminal networks, and the exploitation of the vulnerable population. It also unravels the difficulty faced when implementing laws against organ trafficking, such as corrupt practices at different levels. This paper also focuses on the major aspect of organ trafficking being a transnational criminal activity. The aim is to understand the dynamics of the illegal trade and propose solutions to combat it. The researcher tried to examines organ smuggling as a transnational crime, analysing its mechanisms, global impact and ties to criminal syndicates.
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