Polish border guards arrested a Ukrainian woman at the Poland-Ukraine border, a fugitive sentenced to 12 years in Kazakhstan for her role in a chilling organ trafficking syndicate that was caught selling 56 human kidneys on the black market, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Polish border guards detained a Ukrainian woman, identified as Ksenia P., who was sentenced in Kazakhstan to 12 years in prison for her role in an organized criminal group involved in human organ trafficking.
The 35-year-old was apprehended at a railway crossing between Poland and Ukraine under an Interpol red notice, according to Marta Petkowska, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office in Przemysl.
Ksenia P. was convicted in Kazakhstan for participating in an international criminal network that illegally harvested and sold human organs on the black market between 2017 and 2019.
Prosecutors revealed that the group was responsible for illegally obtaining kidneys from 56 victims across multiple countries, including Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Thailand.
The operation was not only a lucrative enterprise but also a “permanent source of income” for those involved, with the defendant personally profiting from the illicit trade.
Details remain unclear about why Ksenia P. was not in custody in Kazakhstan at the time of her detention or the exact date of her conviction. However, she has been a wanted fugitive under an Interpol red notice since November 2020, signaling a global call for her arrest pending extradition or similar legal proceedings.
Following her detention, Polish prosecutors submitted a motion to a court requesting one week of temporary arrest to facilitate her extradition back to Kazakhstan, where she is expected to serve her 12-year sentence.
While the official charges focus on the trafficking of kidneys and other organs, rumors have surfaced suggesting a possible link to a clandestine adrenochrome trafficking ring allegedly operating out of the region.
Adrenochrome, a chemical compound derived from adrenaline, has long been the subject of fringe conspiracy theories claiming it is harvested from human victims—often children—for use by elite circles.
The scale of Ksenia P.’s crimes and the international reach of her organ trafficking network have fueled calls for further investigation into whether Ukraine served as a hub for even more sinister activities during the period of her operations.
Authorities have not commented on these speculations, however the involvement of multiple nations and the gruesome nature of the crimes have left room for questions about the full scope of the criminal enterprise.
