Thiruvananthapuram: Home department constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive probe into an alleged large-scale organ trafficking and document forgery racket operating in state.In a separate decision, home department decided to transfer all cases related to cyberfraud, hawala transactions and cryptocurrency-based financial crimes registered in Kozhikode to central investigating agencies.In the organ trafficking and document forgery case, Ernakulam rural superintendent of police K S Sudarshan was appointed to head the SIT, which will investigate the illegal network and identify those involved.The move follows a series of statewide raids that led to the registration of three criminal cases and the arrest of the alleged kingpin, Mohammed Najeeb, his wife Rasheeda and two associates, Sinoj and Asif.During the raids, police reportedly seized forged letterheads bearing the names of several public representatives, including MLAs. Searches were conducted at establishments suspected of assisting in preparing fake documents. Preliminary investigations indicated that illegal organ transplant surgeries were carried out at certain major hospitals in Ernakulam.Describing the allegations as extremely serious, home minister ordered that the investigation be entrusted to a high-level team led by an SP-rank officer to ensure thorough inquiry.Meanwhile, central agencies will probe cases pertaining to the alleged use of mule bank accounts for cyberfraud, hawala operations, and cryptocurrency transactions in Koduvally, Thamarassery, Kakkoor, Kaithapoyil, Venchery and nearby areas of Kozhikode.According to reports received by home department, hawala operators in state have established an extensive parallel financial network that facilitates large-scale illegal transactions. Intelligence inputs identified parts of Kozhikode, especially Koduvally, Thamarassery, Kakkoor and surrounding regions as emerging hotspots for cyberfraud.Authorities suspect that funds generated through these illegal channels might have been diverted to finance narcotics trafficking, anti-national activities and terrorism. In view of the interstate and potentially international dimensions of the crimes, state govt decided to hand over the investigations to central agencies.D
