TRT World’s show, Off the Grid, exposes the illegal organ-trafficking trade in Middle East

Off The Grid tells compelling human stories from across the globe, framing them within a bigger picture. It’s about individuals whose lives have been affected by unforeseen events, but who decide to take their destinies into their own hands.

A new episode of Off the Grid – Silent Death on a Syrian Journey – exposes a booming illegal trade in the Middle East: organ trafficking. Producer/Director Mouhssine Ennaimi visits Lebanon where hundreds of thousands of desperately poor Syrians have taken refuge. With little money for food and shelter, Abu Ahmed and Abdallah have sold their kidneys to organ traffickers. One of them was given only a fraction of the sum promised and faces now health complications. The other one is recovering in a filthy room in a dirty slum hoping to be smuggled to Europe by the organ trafficker.

“In this illegal business, as some people call red gold, silence is usually the rule” says Ennaimi who manages to track down a trafficker. “It took us weeks to secure a meeting with the middle man. He shows no remorse for what he’s doing and sees himself as a facilitator” he added.

The documentary also features an organ-harvesting surgical assistant. Despite the risks, he agrees to talk about the organ-trafficking business.

Off The Grid’s episode Silent Death on a Syrian Journey will be on TRT World on November 11, 2017, at 09:15 GMT

Duration: 15 minutes
Producer/Director: Mouhssine Ennaimi
Executive Producer: Alexandra Pauliat
Watch full episodes of Off the Grid here:
Unwanted, The Rohingya Exodus (August 2017)  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Ed_M-bxHc

 Jarablus Rising From its Ashes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_lqXxffIQc