Migrants attempting to reach Europe from Africa are being killed so their organs can be sold and used in illegal transplants, a former people smuggler has claimed.
Nouredin Atta, who was arrested in 2014, told Italian police that organs from African migrants in Libya are being sold for $15,000 (£11,400) in Egypt. The victims are migrants who cannot afford to pay for the last part of the journey, he claimed.
"I was told that the people who can't pay are given to Egyptians, who kill them to take their organs and sell them in Egypt for $15,000," he said. "The Egyptians come equipped to remove the organ and transport it in insulated bags."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Atta did not claim to have witnessed the murders himself, but The Times says others have made similar allegations before.
The newspaper says gruesome photographs circulating on social media allegedly show Somali migrants killed and left with horrendous wounds on a beach in Egypt.
Similar stories have been told about Bedouin tribesmen drugging migrants in the Sinai region, it adds. Egyptian doctors reportedly then remove their corneas, livers and kidneys and sell them to wealthy Arab clients.
Atta is the first foreigner to be given witness protection by Italian police for helping them with their inquiries. Information he provided led to 23 arrests yesterday in Rome, where €526,000 (£446,000) was seized from a perfume shop that had been acting as a front.
Atta came to Italy from Libya ten years ago and was granted asylum. He was considered a "professional" people smuggler by police after working with notorious Ethiopian trafficker Ermias Ghermay. Atta organised trips for migrants through Italy, using Italian drivers and putting them up in properties in Sicily and Rome, says the Times.
-
Peter Mandelson called Epstein his 'best pal' in birthday noteSpeed Read The UK's ambassador to Washington described the late convicted paedophile as an 'intelligent, sharp-witted man'
-
A Spinal Tap reunion, Thomas Pynchon by way of Paul Thomas Anderson and a harrowing Stephen King adaptation in September moviesthe week recommends This month's new releases include 'Spinal Tap II,' 'One Battle After Another' and 'The Long Walk'
-
'Vampire energy' could be causing your electric bill to riseUnder the Radar Wasted energy could account for up to 10% of home use
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Russia's 'shared values' visaThe Explainer The 'anti-woke' scheme is aimed at foreigners who reject LGBTQ+ rights and 'non-traditional' values – and who can provide Moscow with online clout and skilled workers
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
