Serbian, Montenegrin police smash human-trafficking group

26/06/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- The interior ministry announced on Wednesday (June 25th) that a joint operation by Serbian and Montenegrin police has smashed a human-trafficking network. The nearly two-week-long operation followed months of investigation and culminated in the arrests of six Serb citizens. "We have found three victims of the human traffickers -- a Serb girl and two women from Ukraine," the statement said. The ring allegedly talked the women into becoming waitresses and cooks in northern Kosovo's Mitrovica but later forced them into prostitution.

In other news Wednesday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe said it will investigate allegations of trafficking in human organs and inhumane treatment in Kosovo. Swiss parliamentary member Dick Marty will prepare a report on accusations made by former chief UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte. She says the victims of organ trafficking were mostly ethnic Serbs abducted in Kosovo after the 1999 conflict.

Also Wednesday, Greek authorities arrested three women suspected of belonging to an organ-trafficking group. The suspects -- a doctor and two businesswomen -- allegedly duped patients in Greek hospitals into undergoing kidney transplants in India. Each patient paid 60,000 euros. The doctor allegedly insisted the transplants were necessary, though the patients were too ill to tolerate the procedures. At least ten reportedly died from complications. Police arrested an Indian doctor a few months ago. (Tanjug, RIA Novosti, In News, Kathimerini, Naftemporiki - 26/06/08, Council of Europe website, RIA Novosti, ANA-MPA, AP, B92 - 25/06/08)