In what may turn out to be great news for both national and international law enforcement and the justice system in general, a man has been arrested by Cyprus police, who suspect that he is in fact a wanted trafficker in human organs.
Moshe Harel, an Israeli national has been arrested and is currently facing extradition to Kosovo, where he has been accused of illegally luring kidney donors from the ex-Soviet Union and Turkey over 10 years ago.
Baki Kelani, a spokesman for Kosovo police, recently told Reuters that the suspect “M.H.” has been arrested in the island country on the basis of an international arrest warrant. The man has been on their most wanted person since 2010.
According to the policer’s report, Harel lured donors by promising them up to $14,500 in payment, sold the extracted organs being sold to Israelis for prices that went as high as $120,000. Additionally, Harel reportedly did not pay some of the donors at all.
International arrest warrants for Harel were issued by both Russia and the Interpol. The Kosovan authorities are currently requesting his extradition.
Kosovo is a Serbian province which despite having declared independence in 2008, continued to be unrecognized as a separate entity, both by the UN and by Cyprus.