Human placenta trade case: Court extends 5 suspects' remand in FIA custody

An Islamabad court on Thursday granted a one-day extension in the physical remand of five suspects arrested in a case involving the alleged illegal trade of nearly 580 kilograms of human placenta.

The suspects were produced before Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shahzad Gondal by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which sought more time for investigation.

During the hearing, FIA officials requested a seven-day remand, informing the court that further questioning was needed to uncover the full network and identify other people involved.

Investigators informed the court that around 30 cartons of human placenta had been prepared for export to Vietnam and that the seized material weighed nearly 580 kilograms. They said additional custody was needed to trace where the placenta came from, review records and understand how the alleged network was operating.

The suspects were arrested during a joint raid carried out by the FIA and the Human Organ Transplant Authority (HOTA) in Islamabad’s F-7 sector, where five people were taken into custody.