Two Indonesian teens arrested for murder, trying to sell organs of a 10-year-old child
Indonesian police have arrested two teenagers for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a child in an attempt to sell the victim's organs on an online marketplace.
Police said the 10-year-old's body was found wrapped inside a plastic bag under a bridge in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, on Tuesday.
Officers added investigations following a missing person's report filed by the minor's parents revealed the suspects - aged 14 and 17 - were trying to get rich quick to escape their financial plight.
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Makassar police chief Budhi Haryanto said the teens were lured into the criminal activity by a foreign-based website that promised hefty amounts for peddlers selling human organs on its platform.
"The suspects were influenced by the organ trade as they wanted to be rich and own property," Budhi said.
He added the youngsters were planning to sell the organs of the deceased, the Tempo news website reported.
He said the initial inquiry suggested no organ trafficking ring was involved in the case. The suspects were charged with premeditated murder and under the child protection law.
According to the World Health Organization, one-tenth of all global organ transplants are done using illegally obtained organs.
A report by the Washington-based think tank Global Financial Integrity said the organ trafficking trade generates an estimated US$840 million to US$1.7 billion annually.
Last year, Indonesian police contacted their Brazilian counterparts after authorities raided the Amazonas State University in Manaus, where a parcel containing a human hand and three placentas were couriered to Singapore.
Brazil said the package was intended for Indonesian fashion designer Arnold Putra, who was in 2020 spotted with a handbag made of human spine and alligator tongue, Vice News reported.
Arnold claimed the spine "was medically sourced from Canada with papers".
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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