Nine people stand trial over kidney trafficking

Nine people stood trial on Thursday at a court in Hangzhou City, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, for trafficking kidneys on the black market.

The nine, all under the age of 30, recruited people who were willing to sell their kidneys. They were recruited via the Internet or through introductions.

Defendants walk into the court to stand trial over kidney trafficking at the People's Court of Jianggan District in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 21, 2013. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

The people willing to sell their kidneys were based at rented houses in the city's Jianggan District. The sale of the kidneys took place from November 2011, according to the district's procuratorate.

The kidney trafficking ring had recruited 38 people. Eleven of them sold their kidneys before the case was cracked by the Hangzhou police in May 2012.

Lyu Qing, one of the nine traffickers, said they initially sold their own kidneys and then organized other people to sell theirs.

Traffickers could earn between 20,000 and 30,000 yuan (4,805 U.S. dollars) for each kidney, according to Lyu. He earned 161,000 yuan through kidney trafficking.

An accused surnamed Lyu stands trial over kidney trafficking at the People's Court of Jianggan District in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 21, 2013. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Lyu and his eight accomplices should be prosecuted for the crime of organizing human organ trafficking, according to the procuratorate.

The court will sentence the nine at a later date.