At least 35 Jordanians have died over the past three years after selling their kidneys to patients mostly in Egypt and Pakistan, an official was quoted as saying Sunday, dpa reported.
The victims were among 120 citizens who were "lured by gangs of brokers" into selling their kidneys for about 3,000 dinars (4,300 dollars) each, the chairman of the Jordan Kidney Patients' Society, Dr Mohammad Ghneimat, was quoted as saying by the daily newspaper al-Rai.
The victims belonged to poor families from the Palestinian refugee camps of Baqaa and Hussein, he added.
"They underwent unsafe operations for taking out their kidneys outside Jordan and, after returning home, they were forced to consult local kidney specialists after suffering complications," Ghneimat said.
"Their confessions helped the authorities to arrest brokers who were involved in the kidney selling deals," he added.