Alleged ringleader in kidney thefts sent to India

Accused of illegally removing hundreds of organs, including some by force

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updated 1:03 a.m. ET Feb. 10, 2008

KATMANDU, Nepal - The alleged leader of a crime ring accused of illegally removing hundreds of kidneys has been deported from Nepal and sent to India.

Amit Kumar had been arrested Thursday at a jungle resort in Nepal, and Indian officials had been seeking his extradition since then.

Authorities in India have said that Kumar's group sold up to 500 kidneys to clients from around the world in the past nine years. The ring is said to have removed some kidneys from poor laborers held at gunpoint.

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Authorities had been searching for Kumar since he fled last month, after police said they broke up his transplant racket.

Police are also investigating whether he was involved in illegal kidney transplants in Nepal.