Interpol-wanted Israeli organ trafficker found living in Türkiye for 7 years
Boris Wolfman, Türkiye, August 19, 2022. (Photo via Ege Telgraf)
Interpol revealed that Israeli organ trafficker Boris Wolfman wanted with a Red Notice, has been residing in Türkiye for the past seven years.
According to a report by Hale Gonultas from Artigercek, the Israeli Ministry of Justice filed an indictment in October 2015 against Wolfman and six others for international organ trafficking and establishing an illegal organ transplant network in countries including Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka and Türkiye.
Illegal transplant operations linked to organ trafficker Wolfman’s network
The ministry stated that Wolfman and Turkish doctor Yusuf Ercin Sonmez were part of a gang that acquired organs from impoverished individuals in Kosovo, Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka, selling them to wealthy patients from Israel, India and Europe.
Sonmez, who was responsible for conducting the transplants in Kosovo, was also accused of collaborating with other gang members. The indictment alleged that the organ trafficking operations were conducted through a hospital in Israel named Rabin Medical.
Wolfman’s arrest and legal battle
Wolfman was arrested on Dec. 4, 2015, at Istanbul Airport on charges of “international organ trafficking and causing intentional death.”
During the legal proceedings, the Israeli government requested his extradition, prompting the Justice Ministry to seek an additional 30 days to prepare. The court, exercising its discretion, ruled that Wolfman would be tried in Türkiye, preventing his extradition to Israel.
Allegations of purchasing organs from Syrian refugees
The indictment further indicated that Wolfman came to Türkiye to buy organs from Syrian refugees.
Wolfman, along with Sonmez and four other associates, is accused of organizing organ trafficking and illegal transplants across Kosovo, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Austria and Azerbaijan.
Business ventures and public statements
On Nov. 9, 2018, Wolfman established a company called “Royal Innovation,” co-owned by a person named Ozkan Celik.
The company was involved in various sectors, including health tourism, and traded in fresh and dried fruits, iron, and steel exports. Official records indicate that the company’s headquarters is located in an office at Zorlu Center.
In statements to national and international media, Wolfman claimed to be a prominent figure in Türkiye’s agriculture sector and asserted that he provided consultancy to Turkish investors on land leasing and management in Africa.
