Extradition or defense? Ukrainian woman arrested in Poland for business with organs
12 March 17:08
A Ukrainian woman wanted for organ trafficking has been detained in Poland. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the Polish news channel TVN24.
on March 6, 2025, Polish law enforcement authorities detained a 35-year-old Ukrainian citizen wanted by Interpol for participation in an international criminal network of organ trafficking. She was arrested at a railway border crossing in Przemysl while trying to enter Poland.
What is known about the detainee
The detained Ukrainian woman was previously sentenced in absentia in Kazakhstan to 12 years in prison for her role in a criminal group specializing in the illegal removal and sale of human organs. According to the case file, the victims of this network were 56 people from different countries, including
- Kazakhstan;
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand;
- Uzbekistan.
According to the investigation, the criminal group lured people with false promises and then forced them to sell their organs for little or no money. Subsequently, kidneys and other organs were illegally transplanted to wealthy clients from different countries.
How the detention took place
The woman was identified through the Interpol database, as her passport details matched the international warrant card. After the arrest, she was taken to the prosecutor’s office, where the charges were explained.
The detainee’s reaction and the course of the investigation
During the interrogation at the prosecutor’s office, the Ukrainian woman refused to admit her guilt. She claims that she has no relation to the criminal network and that her criminal prosecution is political or fabricated.
However, according to investigators, she had been hiding in different countries for a long time and avoided detention. Prior to her arrest in Poland, the woman allegedly used forged documents and crossed the borders of European countries several times.
The Polish prosecutor’s office filed a motion for her temporary arrest for 7 days, which was approved by the court. This is a standard measure before the extradition procedure begins.
What’s next? Is extradition to Kazakhstan possible?
The issue of extradition of the detainee to Kazakhstan, where she is to serve a 12-year prison sentence, is currently being decided. However, the process may be delayed, as the suspect’s defense may file an appeal with a request for asylum in one of the EU countries.
The position of the Polish police
Representatives of Polish law enforcement agencies emphasized that no cases of organ trafficking related to this criminal network have been recorded in Poland. However, they do not rule out that such crimes may occur outside the country.
