CHISINAU, Moldova — Moldovan authorities have charged seven people with organ trafficking.
Moldova's prosecutor's office said last week that the seven Moldovans were part of an international network that harvested kidneys from 11 Moldovan citizens.
It said poor Moldovans were persuaded to sell their kidneys for illegal transplants for $4,000 to $10,000 starting from 2001.
People were taken to a clinic in Turkey, where they had a kidney extracted if they were found to be healthy. Prosecutors began investigating in 2003.