Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Loan sharks and kidney markets

From the Israeli press:
Head of Israel's debt collection agency: Debtors selling organs to make payments
In letter to deputy attorney general, David Madioni says black market moneylenders using threats, extortion to force debtors to sell organs abroad.

"Israelis who owe money to loan sharks are being forced to sell organs abroad in order to pay back their debts, the head of Israel's Enforcement and Collection Authority has warned the deputy attorney general, in a letter obtained by Ynet.

"The letter by David Madioni to Avi Licht paints a dark picture of black market moneylending in Israel. Known debtors are requesting permission to leave the country, he claims, with the express intention of selling organs.

"Madioni notes in the letter that a number of debtors have recently visited his office in Tel Aviv, seeking to abolish restrictions on them leaving the country. These people, Madioni writes, told him their trips are expressly in order to sell organs to clear their debts.

""I clarified that each is in debt to loan sharks in addition to existing debts (dealt with by the state)," reads the letter to Licht. "Black market elements 'recommended' that they sell their kidneys abroad so as to repay their debts, while threatening their lives if they do not comply."
...
"These cases point to a frightening phenomenon, which are offenses under the law on organ transplants," Madioni wrote. "Beyond this, there appear to be far more serious offenses of extortion through threats, exploitation and physical harm for payment of debts."

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