Authorities in Pakistan are investigating a crime group suspected of illegally buying, processing and smuggling huge quantities of human placentas from local hospitals. According to an official investigation published by the BBC, the biological material is intended for the production of extremely expensive injections abroad, used in anti-aging cosmetic medicine.
Smuggling channel from Islamabad to Vietnam
According to data from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Pakistan, the criminal network has managed to buy about 200 kilograms of placentas every month from various medical institutions. In specially adapted bases, the tissues are dried, chemically processed and prepared for illegal transport out of the country.
During a special operation in a residential building in Islamabad, authorities found half a ton (about 500 kg) of suspected human placenta. The room had been converted into a makeshift laboratory with evaluated trays and carts for drying the biological material. Five people were arrested on the spot. In a separate operation that followed, investigators foiled an attempt to smuggle another 100 kilograms of dried placenta through the capital’s international airport. The shipment was addressed to a destination in Vietnam.
Huge profit: From 800 rupees in the hospital to 700,000 per cosmetic dose
The scheme relied on corruption in maternity wards in the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The detainees bought the placentas from hospital staff for the priceless sum of around 800 Pakistani rupees each (just under 3 US dollars).
However, after processing in illegal factories, the raw material becomes a key component for luxury rejuvenation therapies and serums. On the black market, the final selling price of one such anti-aging injection reaches a whopping 700,000 Pakistani rupees per single dose. The investigation into the case is continuing, clarifying how many officials and medical workers were involved in the international trafficking.
Illustrative photo: pexels-saul-siguenza-355267816-28099429
