Desperate migrants fleeing war-ravaged countries are having their organs harvested by ruthless traffickers if they are unable to pay sky-high travel costs, a former smuggler has revealed.
Eritrean national Nuredin Wehabrebi Atta, 32, was arrested by Italian police in 2014 and is the first foreigner given witness protection by authorities.
He said those who could not pay for the journey were sold to an Egyptian criminal gang for $15,000 (£11,250) where their organs were harvested and used in illegal transplants.
Wehabrebi Atta said: "I was told that those who could not pay were handed to some Egyptians who killed them to take their organs for resale in Egypt, for the sum of $15,000.
"The Egyptians arrived with equipment for the extraction of organs and for transporting them in cool bags."
In February, the former people smuggler was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the operation.
Wehabrebi Atta said he had a change of heart when he witnessed the death of 800 migrants in the Mediterranean in April 2015, Express reported.
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