Organ trafficking

Suspected people smugglers 'sold organs of migrant dead'

The investigation by Palermo's anti-mafia unit was launched following the testimony of a 'repentant' people smuggler, Nuredin Atta Wehabrebi, who was sentenced to five years in jail in February this year - one of the first sentences in Italy for trafficking.

According to Wehabrebi, the network was also involved in organ trafficking. According to Italian media including La Repubblica, he told police that traffickers sold the organs of migrants who did not survive the journey to Italy - and even killed some who did not have enough money to pay the fee, in order to sell their organs for up to €15,000.

Wehabrebi is reported to have said he decided to collaborate with the justice system because "too many had died, in particular at Lampedusa on October 3rd, 2013", Il Tempo reported, referring to the shipwreck which killed 359.