Hospitals are likely to come under the ambit of the investigation into suspected organ trafficking cases registered in Ernakulam.

The police are set to seek custody of prime accused Mohammed Najeeb, 53, who remains in judicial custody, for further interrogation. So far, five cases have been registered across the rural and city police limits, with five persons arrested in connection with the organ donation scam.

District Police Chief (Kochi City) S. Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said the police had specific information about a large racket operating behind the organ donation scam, based on which synchronised raids were conducted across the State. Mr. Kumar said hospitals would also come under the purview of the investigation. “There are strict standard operating procedures for organ donation. The probe will examine how the racket managed to bypass them,” he added.

The Kochi City police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure a swift, coordinated and effective investigation into the case registered at the Ambalamedu police station over the alleged fabrication of fake documents for organ transplantation under Sections 336(2), 337, 339, 341(2), 341(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Headed by Deputy Commissioner Shaheen Shah and Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner Manoj Kumar, the 15-member team includes inspectors from the Ambalamedu, Infopark and Udayamperoor police stations, along with four sub-inspectors. The objective is to trace international and inter-State criminals linked to the racket, as well as hospitals, individuals, agents and accomplices.

Ernakulam Rural Police Chief S. Sudarshan said Mohammed Najeeb has nearly 12 cases against him, including a 2017 murder case in Mangaluru. In the present case, he allegedly forged documents and committed related crimes across multiple districts. “We have obtained various documents connected to the crime, which are being examined in detail. The investigation is at an initial stage, and its depth will become clear only after analysing the documents,” he added.

Mr. Sudarshan, however, declined to comment on whether hospitals and doctors would be brought under the probe. He added that efforts were under way to identify more suspects beyond the five already arrested. A complaint is unlikely in such cases, since both donors and recipients could also be arraigned as accused, he said.