Relatives of the deceased were persuaded to agree, and in return were offered free embalming of the body. In several cases, organs were removed without the consent of the families at all.
In Chernivtsi, tissues were illegally extracted from the deceased
In Bukovyna, law enforcement officers exposed “black transplantologists” who took bones, skin, and corneas from corpses and then sold these organs to medical companies. Four officials of the Chernivtsi Regional Pathological Anatomy Bureau have been notified of suspicion.
This was reported by the police of the Chernivtsi region.
According to law enforcement officers, the officials of the regional pathological anatomy bureau organized criminal activities in 2024 and 2025. At that time, a communal enterprise of the Chernivtsi Regional Council concluded agreements under which it supposedly could extract human anatomical materials for their further transfer, processing, and production of bioimplants. However, the bureau did not have a legal license for transplantology.
“Skin, bones, tendons, corneas, and other tissues were extracted from the bodies of the deceased. They were sold to companies that produce bioimplants for surgery and dentistry,” the report states.
According to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Ruslan Ryaboshapka, the trade in human organs was disguised as “scientific and medical cooperation.”
A scheme for the illegal sale of organs and tissues of the deceased was exposed in Bukovyna
Relatives of the deceased were manipulatively persuaded to consent to such procedures. In return, they were offered free embalming or body storage, as well as discounts on other services. At the same time, people were unaware of the actual scope of extractions and subsequent sale of tissues.
Cases were also documented where relatives of the deceased refused to give consent, but the pathologists still removed organs against their will. In another episode, consent was obtained from an employee of a geriatric boarding house who was caring for the deceased person, even though the relatives handled the funeral and were not consulted about anything.
Police conducted 18 simultaneous searches at the homes of the suspects, in their vehicles, at the offices of the pathological anatomy bureau, and at the premises of the enterprise with which they collaborated.
Four officials have been notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 143 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the established legal procedure for transplantation of human anatomical materials). Among the suspects are the head of the regional pathological anatomy bureau, two pathologists, and a laboratory assistant. They all face up to 7 years in prison.
Earlier, it was reported that nearly a quarter of a million Ukrainians have fallen victim to human trafficking since the beginning of independence, which is as profitable as the trade in weapons or drugs. Every year, hundreds of criminal cases are opened in Ukraine, and recruiters and entire criminal organizations are exposed.
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