A 62-year-old director of an NPO was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of violating the Organ Transplantation Law for arranging organs to be used for organ transplantation without government permission, according to an interview with investigative sources. .
Hitatsu Kikuchi (62), a director of the NPO "Intractable Disease Patient Support Group" with an office in Yokohama, was arrested.
According to investigative sources, Director Kikuchi is suspected of violating the Organ Transplant Law for arranging organs to be used for organ transplants overseas, even though this NPO has not received government permission.
According to people involved, Director Kikuchi, as a de facto representative of the NPO, provided consultations on organ transplantation in China, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and other countries for patients who traveled overseas and wished for organ transplantation.
It has been reported that some patients who underwent organ transplantation overseas experienced a rapid deterioration in their condition.
In an interview with NHK this month, Director Kikuchi said, "So far, we have connected about 180 patients to hospitals in about six countries, including China and Kyrgyzstan, but we have not been involved in the selection of specific donors. There is no recognition that mediation was done."
Police are investigating the details.