By Patrick LowmanPOLICE have launched an investigation into an allegation a man from East Anglia has been trying to sell one of his kidneys on the internet for £100,000.

By Patrick Lowman

POLICE have launched an investigation into an allegation a man from East Anglia has been trying to sell one of his kidneys on the internet for £100,000.

Detectives in Sudbury confirmed yesterday they are looking into the case after receiving a complaint about a man from the area whom it was claimed was trying to cash in on the trade in human organs.

The issue was highlighted by a national newspaper, which claimed the illegal trade in human kidneys was becoming a multi-million-pound industry with desperate patients trying to find donors on the internet.

Suffolk police said it was investigating an allegation the man, who comes from the Sudbury area, had offered one of his own kidneys for sale, supposedly to enable him to start up his own business.

A force spokesman said: “We have received a complaint that a local man is attempting to sell one of his kidneys for £100,000.

“We are currently awaiting information to assist us with our inquiries and an investigation is taking place.”

The allegations came to light after a number of messages were posted on the Diabetes Daily News website, supposedly from the man, offering one of his kidneys “for the right price”.

One message posted on the internet on March 21 read: “I got a spare one. Yours for the right price. Make me an offer. I am also B+ and 27. I am in the UK.”

Trying to sell a kidney in Britain is an offence under the Human Organs Transplant Act, 1989.

Anybody trying to go through with a deal would have to go abroad for a kidney removal operation to escape laws in Britain which ban any such surgery.

The man whom detectives are investigating was not available for comment yesterday.

patrick.lowman@eadt.co.uk