Chinese nationals seek IHC bail in illegal organ trafficking case

ISLAMABAD: Three Chinese nationals arrested in a case involving the alleged illegal sale of human organs on Friday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking post-arrest bail.

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the bail petitions on Friday.

Representing the petitioners, Barrister Yawar Gardazi argued that similar bail applications in the same case were already pending before another bench of the IHC.

He requested that the three petitions also be transferred to that bench to ensure consistency in the proceedings.

The lawyer urged the court to send the applications of Li Geng Chai, Ping Fei Guo and Wang Bao to the bench headed by Justice Muhammad Azam Khan.

Justice Tahir observed that the judge of the bench to which the case was sought to be transferred was currently on summer vacation and that the matter could take about a month to be heard.

Despite the court’s observation, the petitioners’ counsel insisted that the case be transferred.

Accepting the request, Justice Tahir ordered that the case file be sent to the office of the chief justice for a decision on reassigning the matter to another bench.

The three Chinese nationals had earlier been denied post-arrest bail by a trial court.

They are among the accused in a case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Corporate Crime Circle over the alleged illegal trade in human organs.

The matter will now be placed before the chief justice’s office, which will decide whether the bail petitions should be transferred to another bench for hearing.

Major organ trafficking network busted

The case stems from a major FIA operation in June 2026, when investigators uncovered an alleged illegal organ trafficking network operating from a private hospital in Islamabad.

According to the FIA, nine suspects, including a prominent urologist and a hospital employee believed to be key figures in the network, were arrested during a raid conducted by the agency’s Anti-Corruption Circle, Islamabad Zone.

The FIA alleged that illegal kidney transplant operations were being carried out at the hospital.

Several other individuals present at the hospital were also taken into custody, including alleged kidney donors, recipients and members of the hospital staff, as part of the investigation into the suspected organ trafficking racket.