A former Ukrainian deputy health minister is suspected of being involved in a criminal conspiracy to harvest human organs at hospitals, according to local media.

The criminal group also included doctors, some of whom were employed by a prestigious clinic in Kiev, the Ukrainian news outlet Strana said on Monday, citing sources in law enforcement. There are reportedly 11 suspects in the case, none of whom were named.

"Organs were harvested from incapacitated people and sold. All members of the criminal group are facing charges under three articles of the criminal code. They may be punished by up to 12 years in jail," one source said.

Ukraine has become a hotbed for organ harvesting amid the conflict with Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged in an article last year. She argued that the Ukrainian government was facilitating the illegal trade after it significantly deregulated transplantation in 2021.

"[The reforms] made it much easier to harvest organs of the deceased, who did not consent to becoming donors after their death," Zakharova wrote. "A permit ... may be issued by an official who would take on themselves funeral arrangements, such as chief doctor of a hospital or commander of a military unit. Transplantation was allowed not only to state-owned but also to private clinics."

Criminals advertise their ability to deliver hearts, kidneys, and livers "to order" anywhere in the EU within 48-60 hours, Zakharova claimed, citing media investigations.
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