IN China, there are about 1.5 million patients on the kidney transplant waiting list, and their number is increasing by 120,000 to 150,000 a year, according to a report in Beijing-based China Daily in March.

However, only about 8,000 kidney transplants are done every year. The dearth of kidney donors is one of the reasons why illegal trade is out of control, according to the report.

Illegal organs are traded on an industrial scale. This includes organ suppliers, people who accommodate them, and agents who arrange the operations, according to Su Dongwei, the first person to be arrested for human organ trafficking in Nanjing.

Su was arrested in March and accused of organizing at least seven illegal transplants since 2008.

Su claims to have used four aliases to find potential suppliers over the Internet.

The prosecutor in Su’s case, who was not identified, said that rampant illegal organ trade is partly a result of loopholes in our hospital management and legal systems.

“Before the eighth amendment, which took effect May 1, we could only charge suspects of illegal operation, which was not severe enough to deter illegal traders,” said the prosecutor.

In addition, there are loopholes in hospitals’ check on the identity of organ suppliers. Hospitals are not guaranteed to be able to identify fake ID cards, which are used in illegal trade.

Some small hospitals and community health service centers do not even ask to see ID.

Illegal trade in organs costs about 100,000 lives every year.