A man accused of masterminding an illegal transplant ring that allegedly harvested hundreds of kidneys from poor men and women in India has been linked to a southern Ontario home, according to published media reports.
Indian investigators allege Amit Kumar, dubbed Dr. Horror by Indian newspapers, had false passports for Nepal and Canada, and has escaped arrest numerous times.
The Toronto Star reported on the weekend that Kumar was living in a home in a quiet suburb of Brampton, just north of Toronto, with his wife and two children.
A security gate has been installed outside the home in the last few days, the CBC's Nil Koksal reported on Monday from the neighbourhood.
Kumar is not a qualified doctor, but is alleged to have overseen the removal of kidneys from up to 500 poor labourers for sale to wealthy patients, Mohiner Lal, police commissioner for the New Delhi suburb of Gurgaon, told CBC News on Monday.
The patients are believed to be among the many willing to pay high sums of money to receive needed organs immediately and avoid waiting lists for transplants in their home countries.
Police broke up the alleged ring on Jan. 24 after they discovered a room fully equipped with surgical supplies in an upscale home in Gurgaon, Lal said. The clinic was set up without authorization and there are reports of at least three patients dying, he added.
When asked about reports the victims were forced to give up their kidneys at gunpoint, the police commissioner replied: "Yes, maybe."
A doctor and several other people were arrested and several computers were seized. But Kumar evaded capture, which has led to speculation in the Indian media that he was somehow tipped off to the raid ahead of time.
Interpol has issued a worldwide "red notice" for Kumar calling for his immediate arrest for "crimes against life and health," according to the international police agency's website.
Speaking on behalf of Interpol, RCMP Sgt. Sylvie Tremblay told CBCNews.ca on Monday that the agency's Ottawa bureau is working closely with its counterpart office in India and local agencies to "validate any information" on the case.
But Tremblay would not comment on whether investigators believe Kumar is currently in Canada.
Poor lured with promises of payment, jobs
Indian officials do not know where Kumar is, but have information that he has family in Canada, Lal said.
Other media reports in India have said police have recovered e-mails from Kumar's Gurgaon premises in which patients from Canada have inquired about the details of the operation.
It is unclear if the poor people actually sold the organs or whether they were duped by dozens of doctors allegedly involved in the scheme.
There are reports some were allegedly drawn into the clinic with the promise of high-paying work that required a physical examination, said Angie Seth, host of OMNI TV's South-Asian News, who has been following Indian media coverage of the case.
"From what we understand, these men would be sedated, then they'd wake up later with a large scar and in a great deal of pain, minus a kidney," Seth told CBC News on Monday.
Foreign clients were found waiting for transplants in the guest house, according to media reports. Investigators have said some of the people whose kidneys were taken were paid about $1,200.
"You're looking for patients from around the world who are desperate because it's a life-or-death matter," Seth said.
The Star quoted a neighbour in Brampton as saying Kumar told him last month that he was going back to India to wind up some business loose ends.
The paper also reported Kumar starred in low-budget Bollywood films in the 1990s.
Authorities have said this is not the first time Kumar, who has several aliases, has been accused of illegally selling kidneys. Police raided one of his clinics eight years ago, but he allegedly continued his activities.
With files from the Canadian Press