I Was Sold To The Highest Bidder For My Organs

Organ trafficking is a dark facet of human exploitation where individuals are coerced, deceived, or forced into giving up organs for profit. This crime thrives on a global scale due to the high demand for organs for transplantation, which legal systems in many countries cannot meet.

The victims of organ trafficking are often from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, including the homeless, migrants, and refugees, who are promised financial compensation that rarely materializes as expected. The process typically involves a network of criminals, including brokers, medical professionals, and sometimes corrupt law enforcement or government officials. The organs, primarily kidneys, are then sold to recipients who can afford to bypass long waiting lists for legal organ donations. This underground trade not only violates human rights but also poses significant health risks to donors who often receive no or inadequate post-operative care.

Statistics on organ trafficking are elusive due to its clandestine nature, but various reports provide some insight into the scale. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, around 10,000 kidneys are traded on the black market annually worldwide, which equates to more than one kidney every hour. Global Financial Integrity suggests that trafficked organs might account for up to 10% of all organ transplants globally. The financial aspect of this trade is substantial, with annual profits estimated between $840 million and $1.7 billion. In the United States alone, approximately 105,733 people were on the waiting list for organ transplants as of recent reports, with the majority needing kidneys, highlighting the desperate demand that fuels this illegal market.