• Published 00:00 01.05.07
  • Latest update 00:00 01.05.07

Israeli doctor said detained in Turkey for illegal organ transplants

Three other Israelis said detained, including 2 alleged kidney donors and a recipient; total of 15 people held.

By News Agencies and Haaretz Service

An Israeli surgeon has been detained at an Istanbul hospital over alleged illegal organ transplants, a Turkish news agency reported Tuesday.

The report named the doctor as Zaki Shapira, and said that three other Israeli nationals were also detained. Two of the Israelis were reportedly donating kidneys to a third Israeli and a South African in his 60s.

The arrests occurred when Turkish police were called to the hospital because of a robbery and discovered the alleged illegal transplants.

The report said that a policeman and a robber were wounded in an exchange of gunfire. A total of 15 people were detained in connection with the incident, including seven hospital employees.

According to the report, the four would-be donors and recipients were transferred to other hospitals in Istanbul as the hospital in which they were being treated did not have a license or adequate equipment to carry out transplants.

The report quotes police as saying that the robbery had no connection to the alleged illegal organ transplants.

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