Alleged wig-trade front conceals human placenta smuggling ring

UNDER COVER OF HAIR BUSINESS. ISLAMABAD – Five men accused of running an international human placenta smuggling ring from two Islam­abad houses have been remand­ed in FIA custody as investigators piece together the full scale of an operation that allegedly disguised itself as a legitimate human hair and wig export business for near­ly a year. An official privy to the investiga­tion told The Nation, on condition of anonymity, that interrogation has established a clear division of labour among the three Chinese nationals. One allegedly washed and dried the placenta, another baked and processed it, while the third handled packaging and ex­port documentation before con­signments were shipped to Vi­etnam under the product name “Sheep Placenta, ” misdeclared as animal-origin material at the point of export. Roughly 550 kilograms of human placenta in fresh, dried and processed form was seized across both locations, and a sepa­rate consignment of approximate­ly 500 kilograms intended for ex­port was also stopped as part of the investigation. Suthra Punjab workers lodge protest, demand payment of salaries The scale of the alleged profits is striking. According to the offi­cial, each placenta was purchased locally for around PKR 800, while the raw product fetched between PKR 10, 000 and PKR 15, 000 per kilogram inside Pakistan. After processing, it was allegedly ex­ported for between PKR 50, 000 and PKR 60, 000 per kilogram, with finished products estimated to command prices ranging from PKR 500, 000 to PKR 600, 000 in international markets. Human placenta is used in anti-ageing creams, cosmetic products and in­jectable preparations and is con­sumed as food in some countries, commanding prices running into millions of dollars globally. Its commercial trade is banned in Pa­kistan, China, the United States, Britain and most other countries. TTAP plans joint LG poll strategy in Punjab The accused, Chinese nationals Li Gangcai, Wang Bao and Peng Fei Guo, and Pakistani nationals Mu­hammad Waqas and Qaiser Hanif, were arrested last week after the FIA received a tip-off and engaged HOTA, after which a joint team raided properties in Sector F-7/1 and Sector E-11, Islamabad, and found what officials described as fully operational processing plants hidden inside private residences. The gang sourced placenta from suppliers in Lahore, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, the official said. Investi­gators suspect the supply chain ex­tended beyond hospitals to private waste management contractors, with some workers allegedly divert­ing placenta before it could be dis­posed of lawfully. Several individ­uals have been identified and raids are continuing to apprehend oth­ers linked to the network. Muham­mad Waqas is believed to be the net­work’s primary local operative. ATC reserves verdict on acquittal plea The cover story, officials say, was meticulously constructed. A large quantity of human hair was re­covered from the premises, and the official said even the name of the export company contained the word “Hair. ” The accused are be­lieved to have obtained business visas linked to the hair trade, al­lowing the alleged placenta op­eration to function beneath an outwardly legitimate business without attracting suspicion. Law­yers for the two Pakistani accused have pushed back, arguing that Waqas and Hanif were genuinely engaged in the hair and wig busi­ness with the Chinese nationals and had no connection to the pla­centa operation. PPP links Kahna tragedy to absence of LB govts in Punjab The health implications of the racket were underscored in court on Tuesday, when Investigating Officer Inspector Faheem Musta­fa warned the magistrate that placenta sourced from a mother suffering from infectious diseas­es such as HIV or cancer, if it en­tered cosmetic, injectable or edi­ble products, could pose serious public health risks to consumers. The court granted a further two days and ordered the men to be produced again on July 2. Officials said the operation al­legedly ran undetected for close to a year, raising serious questions about hospital managements that may have supplied the material, health departments responsible for monitoring biological waste dispos­al, and customs authorities through whose watch misdeclared consign­ments were cleared for export. Over 35, 700 illegally residing foreign nationals repatriated: Police FIA Director General Dr. Usman Anwar is personally monitoring the investigation, the official said, adding that Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif has taken notice of the case. China’s embassy in Islam­abad has also contacted the FIA, noting that the trade is illegal in China as well. The FIA has described the case as the first of its kind in Pakistan. Further arrests are expected. ISLAMABAD Five men accused of running an international human placenta smuggling ring from two Islam­abad houses have been remand­ed in FIA custody as investigators piece together the full scale of an operation that allegedly disguised itself as a legitimate human hair and wig export business for near­ly a year. An official privy to the investiga­tion told The Nation, on condition of anonymity, that interrogation has established a clear division of labour among the three Chinese nationals. One allegedly washed and dried the placenta, another baked and processed it, while the third handled packaging and ex­port documentation before con­signments were shipped to Vi­etnam under the product name “Sheep Placenta, ” misdeclared as animal-origin material at the point of export. Roughly 550 kilograms of human placenta in fresh, dried and processed form was seized across both locations, and a sepa­rate consignment of approximate­ly 500 kilograms intended for ex­port was also stopped as part of the investigation. The scale of the alleged profits is striking. According to the offi­cial, each placenta was purchased locally for around PKR 800, while the raw product fetched between PKR 10, 000 and PKR 15, 000 per kilogram inside Pakistan. After processing, it was allegedly ex­ported for between PKR 50, 000 and PKR 60, 000 per kilogram, with finished products estimated to command prices ranging from PKR 500, 000 to PKR 600, 000 in international markets. Human placenta is used in anti-ageing creams, cosmetic products and in­jectable preparations and is con­sumed as food in some countries, commanding prices running into millions of dollars globally. Its commercial trade is banned in Pa­kistan, China, the United States, Britain and most other countries. The accused, Chinese nationals Li Gangcai, Wang Bao and Peng Fei Guo, and Pakistani nationals Mu­hammad Waqas and Qaiser Hanif, were arrested last week after the FIA received a tip-off and engaged HOTA, after which a joint team raided properties in Sector F-7/1 and Sector E-11, Islamabad, and found what officials described as fully operational processing plants hidden inside private residences. The gang sourced placenta from suppliers in Lahore, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, the official said. Investi­gators suspect the supply chain ex­tended beyond hospitals to private waste management contractors, with some workers allegedly divert­ing placenta before it could be dis­posed of lawfully. Several individ­uals have been identified and raids are continuing to apprehend oth­ers linked to the network. Muham­mad Waqas is believed to be the net­work’s primary local operative. The cover story, officials say, was meticulously constructed. A large quantity of human hair was re­covered from the premises, and the official said even the name of the export company contained the word “Hair. ” The accused are be­lieved to have obtained business visas linked to the hair trade, al­lowing the alleged placenta op­eration to function beneath an outwardly legitimate business without attracting suspicion. Law­yers for the two Pakistani accused have pushed back, arguing that Waqas and Hanif were genuinely engaged in the hair and wig busi­ness with the Chinese nationals and had no connection to the pla­centa operation. The health implications of the racket were underscored in court on Tuesday, when Investigating Officer Inspector Faheem Musta­fa warned the magistrate that placenta sourced from a mother suffering from infectious diseas­es such as HIV or cancer, if it en­tered cosmetic, injectable or edi­ble products, could pose serious public health risks to consumers. The court granted a further two days and ordered the men to be produced again on July 2. Officials said the operation al­legedly ran undetected for close to a year, raising serious questions about hospital managements that may have supplied the material, health departments responsible for monitoring biological waste dispos­al, and customs authorities through whose watch misdeclared consign­ments were cleared for export. FIA Director General Dr. Usman Anwar is personally monitoring the investigation, the official said, adding that Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif has taken notice of the case. China’s embassy in Islam­abad has also contacted the FIA, noting that the trade is illegal in China as well. The FIA has described the case as the first of its kind in Pakistan. Further arrests are expected.

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