Arrests Shed Light on Illicit Trade in Human Body Parts, Activists Say

Human rights activists said Tuesday that a thriving black market in body parts for transplantation has been illuminated by the arrests of two men on charges of trying to illegally sell organs from executed Chinese prisoners.

The two men, Cheng Yong Wang--who told undercover investigators he had been a prosecutor on Hainan Island in China--and Xingqi Fu--a Chinese citizen living in New York--were seized after meeting with an FBI agent posing as a medical executive.

The undercover agent said he was interested in receiving corneas, kidneys, pancreases, livers, lungs, skin and other organs.

According to court papers, Wang, 41, signed two contracts making him responsible for coordinating with Chinese government agencies and hospitals in securing organs for transplants and would receive a commission amounting to 25% of the total cost of each transplant case.

Prosecutors charged that Fu, 35, planned to smuggle corneas into the U.S. for sale to physicians.

Prosecutors said Wang met the undercover agent Feb. 2. Earlier in the month, Wang met with human rights activist Harry Wu, who subsequently acted as a government informant. Wang reportedly said he was interested in selling kidneys from executed Chinese prisoners.

Wu said, in an interview, he was put in touch with Wang by people the defendant had contacted.

Sidney Jones, executive director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, said that if the charges prove true, “it indicates the organ trade has established itself in the United States.

Chinese authorities claim that transplants occur only sparingly and only after prisoners who face the death sentence voluntarily agree to donate organs.