The Met was alerted to ‘potential offences under modern slavery legislation’ in May 2022
Two people have been charged with conspiring to bring a child to the UK in order to harvest organs, the Metropolitan Police revealed on Thursday.
Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, and 60-year-old Ike Ekweremadu have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Charges were brought against the pair following an investigation by the Met’s Specialist Crime team.
A child has now been safeguarded, the force said in a statement.
The investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to “potential offences under modern slavery legislation” in May 2022, the Met said.
“A child has been safeguarded and we are working closely with partners on continued support,” the Met said, saying that due to criminal proceedings now being underway it was unable to provide further details.
The Independent reported that Ike Ekweremadu is a district senator and lawyer and is one of the most senior and well-connected politicians in Nigeria.
The newspaper said he is a member of the main opposition group, the People’s Democratic Party, and has served as a senator for the south-eastern Enugu State since 2003.
The World Health Organisation estimates that between five and ten per cent of global organ transplants are performed using illegally sourced organs.
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