Illegal scheme for selling organs of the deceased uncovered in Bukovyna

Employees of the Chernivtsi Regional Pathological Anatomy Bureau in Bukovyna organized an illegal trade in tissues taken from the deceased — including skin, bones, tendons, corneas, and other materials.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced the exposure of the scheme, publishing a collection of investigative materials.

According to the prosecution, the extracted tissues were sold to companies manufacturing bioimplants for surgery and dentistry. Since the bureau did not hold a license for medical practice in the field of transplantology, the trade was concealed through fictitious agreements on “scientific and medical cooperation,” while the transfer of body parts was documented as the “supply of raw materials for the manufacture of bioimplants.”

Relatives of the deceased were persuaded to consent to such procedures by being offered free embalming or body storage in return, as well as discounts on other services. At the same time, the people were unaware of the actual volume of tissue harvesting and its subsequent sale.

The investigation also documented cases in which relatives of the deceased refused to give consent, yet anatomical materials were removed against their will.

The collected biomaterials were delivered to recipients by rail in refrigerated containers. In particular, the transfer of ten boxes of biomaterials was recorded, as well as the shipment of corneas by train on the Chernivtsi–Odesa route.

Four employees of the Chernivtsi Regional Pathological Anatomy Bureau are currently in custody, the prosecutor general said.

Earlier, a resident of Zakarpattia who is a suspect in a case involving the sale of children for their organs was released on bail of one million hryvnias.