Big fine for organ trafficker

2003-12-10 17:05

Durban - A 58-year-old man arrested on suspicion of involvement in an international human-organ trafficking network has pleaded guilty to 38 charges under the Human Tissue Act, police reported on Thursday.

Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said Durban magistrate's court had sentenced Roderick Frank Kimberley to six years' imprisonment, suspended for five years on certain conditions.

Kimberley, a South African, was also ordered to pay a fine of R250 000.

Two other men linked to the syndicate were arrested in Durban on Tuesday last week, and appeared in the magistrate's court.

Agania Robel, a 42-year-old Israeli, was found guilty and sentenced to two years' imprisonment, suspended for five years, or a R5 000 fine. He paid the fine and left South Africa.

Anohter accused, 49-year-old Meir Shushan, a South African of Israeli descent who lived in Johannesburg, was out on R15,000 bail. He was due to appear again in court in February next year.

Investigation started a year ago

Police were investigating a possible link between the Durban arrests and those of 11 people in Brazil and one in Israel on similar charges earlier this week.

The South African leg of the investigation, which was being conducted by the Durban commercial crime investigation unit and the crime intelligence unit, in collaboration with the health department, started about a year ago.

Police were probing claims that people, mostly in Brazil, were offered money for their organs, mainly kidneys.

They were brought to a private hospital or hospitals in South Africa, where the organs were transplanted to buyers.

It was unclear how many people fell victim to the group or how much money changed hands. More local arrests were likely.

Martins-Engelbrecht said the investigation team was working around the clock to solve the case.

Any person with information was asked to call Captain Louis Helberg on 082 567 4183 or Inspector KG Chetty on 031 332 2534.

- SAPA