The organization of the human organ trade: a comparative crime script analysis

Frederike Ambagtsheer; Roos Bugter

doi:10.1007/s10611-022-10068-5

The organization of the human organ trade: a comparative crime script analysis

Frederike Ambagtsheer^*
, Roos Bugter

^*Corresponding author for this work

Internal Medicine

Triodos Bank

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

577 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This study fills critical knowledge gaps into the organization of organ trade utilizing crime script analysis. Adopting a situational crime prevention approach, this article draws from law enforcement data to compare the crime commission process (activities, cast and locations) of 2 prosecuted organ trade cases: the Medicus case and the Netcare case. Both cases involved transnational criminal networks that performed kidney transplants from living donors. We further present similarities and differences between illegal and legal living donor kidney transplants that may help guide identification and disruption of illegal transplants. Our analysis reveal the similar crime trajectories of both criminal cases, in particular the extensive preparations and high degree of organization that were needed to execute the illegal transplants. Offenders in the illegal transplant schemes utilized the same opportunity structures that facilitate legal transplants, such as transplant units, hospitals and blood banks. Our results indicate that the trade is embedded within the transplant industry and intersects with the transport- and hospitality sector. The transplant industry in the studied cases was particularly found to provide the medical infrastructure needed to facilitate and sustain organ trade. When compared to legal transplants, the studied illegal transplant scripts reveal a wider diversity in recruitment tactics and concealment strategies and a higher diversity in locations for the pre-operative work-up of donors and recipients. The results suggest the need for a broader conceptualization of the organ trade that incorporates both organized crime and white collar crime perspectives.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-32
Number of pages	32
Journal	Crime, Law and Social Change
Volume	80
Issue number	1
Early online date	29 Nov 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-022-10068-5
Publication status	Published - Aug 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Data was gathered under auspices of the ‘HOTT project’, a research project funded by the European Commission, that aimed to increase knowledge, raise awareness and improve responses to THBOR (Ambagtsheer & Weimar, ; HOTT Project, ). Data pertaining to the Netcare –and Medicus cases was collected in South Africa, Kosovo, United Kingdom and Israel.

Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank the respondents for their contributions to this study, in particular the police investigators and prosecutors for hosting and supporting the research team during the study visits. For confidentiality reasons, their names are not disclosed. The authors further wish to thank the HOTT project research team, in particular Susanne Lundin, Jessica Steenbergen, Linde van Balen and Martin Gunnarson for contributing to the data collection processes during the on-site visits. Furthermore, the authors are grateful to Erasmus MC’s transplant team, in particular Marry de Klerk, for her input and feedback to the transplant script. Finally, the authors wish to thank Robby Roks and Sean Columb for their valuable comments to an earlier draft of the manuscript.

Funding Information:
This study was funded by the Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme of the European Commission Directorate General Home Affairs, under the project, ‘Combating trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal’ (the HOTT project) Grant no. 4000002186, 2012–2016.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).

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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Cite this

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title = "The organization of the human organ trade: a comparative crime script analysis",

abstract = "This study fills critical knowledge gaps into the organization of organ trade utilizing crime script analysis. Adopting a situational crime prevention approach, this article draws from law enforcement data to compare the crime commission process (activities, cast and locations) of 2 prosecuted organ trade cases: the Medicus case and the Netcare case. Both cases involved transnational criminal networks that performed kidney transplants from living donors. We further present similarities and differences between illegal and legal living donor kidney transplants that may help guide identification and disruption of illegal transplants. Our analysis reveal the similar crime trajectories of both criminal cases, in particular the extensive preparations and high degree of organization that were needed to execute the illegal transplants. Offenders in the illegal transplant schemes utilized the same opportunity structures that facilitate legal transplants, such as transplant units, hospitals and blood banks. Our results indicate that the trade is embedded within the transplant industry and intersects with the transport- and hospitality sector. The transplant industry in the studied cases was particularly found to provide the medical infrastructure needed to facilitate and sustain organ trade. When compared to legal transplants, the studied illegal transplant scripts reveal a wider diversity in recruitment tactics and concealment strategies and a higher diversity in locations for the pre-operative work-up of donors and recipients. The results suggest the need for a broader conceptualization of the organ trade that incorporates both organized crime and white collar crime perspectives.",

author = "Frederike Ambagtsheer and Roos Bugter",

note = "Funding Information: Data was gathered under auspices of the {\textquoteleft}HOTT project{\textquoteright}, a research project funded by the European Commission, that aimed to increase knowledge, raise awareness and improve responses to THBOR (Ambagtsheer \& Weimar, ; HOTT Project, ). Data pertaining to the Netcare {\textendash}and Medicus cases was collected in South Africa, Kosovo, United Kingdom and Israel. Funding Information: The authors wish to thank the respondents for their contributions to this study, in particular the police investigators and prosecutors for hosting and supporting the research team during the study visits. For confidentiality reasons, their names are not disclosed. The authors further wish to thank the HOTT project research team, in particular Susanne Lundin, Jessica Steenbergen, Linde van Balen and Martin Gunnarson for contributing to the data collection processes during the on-site visits. Furthermore, the authors are grateful to Erasmus MC{\textquoteright}s transplant team, in particular Marry de Klerk, for her input and feedback to the transplant script. Finally, the authors wish to thank Robby Roks and Sean Columb for their valuable comments to an earlier draft of the manuscript. Funding Information: This study was funded by the Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme of the European Commission Directorate General Home Affairs, under the project, {\textquoteleft}Combating trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal{\textquoteright} (the HOTT project) Grant no. 4000002186, 2012{\textendash}2016. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",

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PY - 2023/8

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N2 - This study fills critical knowledge gaps into the organization of organ trade utilizing crime script analysis. Adopting a situational crime prevention approach, this article draws from law enforcement data to compare the crime commission process (activities, cast and locations) of 2 prosecuted organ trade cases: the Medicus case and the Netcare case. Both cases involved transnational criminal networks that performed kidney transplants from living donors. We further present similarities and differences between illegal and legal living donor kidney transplants that may help guide identification and disruption of illegal transplants. Our analysis reveal the similar crime trajectories of both criminal cases, in particular the extensive preparations and high degree of organization that were needed to execute the illegal transplants. Offenders in the illegal transplant schemes utilized the same opportunity structures that facilitate legal transplants, such as transplant units, hospitals and blood banks. Our results indicate that the trade is embedded within the transplant industry and intersects with the transport- and hospitality sector. The transplant industry in the studied cases was particularly found to provide the medical infrastructure needed to facilitate and sustain organ trade. When compared to legal transplants, the studied illegal transplant scripts reveal a wider diversity in recruitment tactics and concealment strategies and a higher diversity in locations for the pre-operative work-up of donors and recipients. The results suggest the need for a broader conceptualization of the organ trade that incorporates both organized crime and white collar crime perspectives.

AB - This study fills critical knowledge gaps into the organization of organ trade utilizing crime script analysis. Adopting a situational crime prevention approach, this article draws from law enforcement data to compare the crime commission process (activities, cast and locations) of 2 prosecuted organ trade cases: the Medicus case and the Netcare case. Both cases involved transnational criminal networks that performed kidney transplants from living donors. We further present similarities and differences between illegal and legal living donor kidney transplants that may help guide identification and disruption of illegal transplants. Our analysis reveal the similar crime trajectories of both criminal cases, in particular the extensive preparations and high degree of organization that were needed to execute the illegal transplants. Offenders in the illegal transplant schemes utilized the same opportunity structures that facilitate legal transplants, such as transplant units, hospitals and blood banks. Our results indicate that the trade is embedded within the transplant industry and intersects with the transport- and hospitality sector. The transplant industry in the studied cases was particularly found to provide the medical infrastructure needed to facilitate and sustain organ trade. When compared to legal transplants, the studied illegal transplant scripts reveal a wider diversity in recruitment tactics and concealment strategies and a higher diversity in locations for the pre-operative work-up of donors and recipients. The results suggest the need for a broader conceptualization of the organ trade that incorporates both organized crime and white collar crime perspectives.

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The organization of the human organ trade: a comparative crime script analysis

Abstract

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