A 35-year-old Ukrainian woman, sentenced to 12 years in prison in Kazakhstan for her involvement in an international organ trafficking ring, has been arrested while attempting to cross the Polish-Ukrainian border in Przemyśl.

She had been wanted by Interpol since November 2020 under a red notice, which signifies the highest level of international search for dangerous criminals.

According to Lieutenant Piotr Zakięlarz, spokesperson for the Bieszczady Border Guard Department, the woman was detained on March 7 during a routine inspection of travelers departing for Ukraine via the railway border crossing in Przemyśl. Authorities discovered her data in international search databases, confirming her status as a fugitive wanted by Kazakh law enforcement.

The Ukrainian national was convicted for participating in an organized international criminal group that illegally obtained and sold human kidneys.

“A woman in the period from July 2017 to January 2019 in Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan illegally obtained human organs in the form of kidneys, in order to resell on the black market,” noted Marta Pętkowska, spokesperson for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl.

Investigations revealed that at least 56 individuals fell victim to the illegal practice, which served as a primary source of income for the suspect.

Despite being confronted with the charges, the woman denied any involvement during questioning by the authorities.

Following her arrest, the prosecutor submitted a request for her detention, which the court approved for a period of seven days. She remains in custody while awaiting a court ruling on her extradition to Kazakhstan.

At this stage, authorities have refrained from disclosing further details about the case.