Five people in southern China have been charged with intentional injury after a 17-year-old boy sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPad 2 and an iPhone.
The five charged include the surgeon who removed the Chinese teenager's kidney last April, and a broker who arranged the procedure, according to a Reuters report that cited the government-run Xinhua News Agency. The broker reportedly received 220,000 yuan (about $35,000) for the didney and paid the boy 22,000 yuan (about $3,393).
The broker then reportedly split the rest of the windfall with the surgeon, the three other defendants, and other medical staff. Several other suspects are being investigated.
"I wanted to buy an iPad 2 but could not afford it," the boy told the Shanghai Daily newspaper in June. "A broker contacted me on the Internet and said he could help me sell one kidney for 20,000 yuan."
The broker arranged the surgery and the boy's right kidney was removed on April 28 in Hunan Province, China. His parents had no knowledge of the procedure. When he returned to his home in neighboring Anhui Province, his mother contacted the authorities immediately. Police called the broker, but predictably, his phone had been turned off.
The surgery was performed at Chenzhou No. 198 Hospital, which Shanghai Daily said is "not qualified to perform organ transplant." The hospital claimed to have no knowledge of the procedure.
The boy is now regretting his decision since his heath is worsening. After having his kidney removed, he developed renal deficiency and is now deteriorating, Reuters reported.
In China, where just a fraction of the people who need organ transplants are able to get them, kidneys are a hot commodity — but so are Apple products. Since the first Apple Store opened in China about four years ago, demand has grown exponentially in the country. In January, Apple had to halt iPhone 4S sales in China due to unruly crowds and several violent outbursts.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the iPhone 4S and the slideshow below.
For more from Angela, follow her on Twitter @amoscaritolo.
