MANCHESTER, England, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Some cash-desperate Britons are digging deep -- into their own bodies, offering to sell their kidneys overseas via the Internet, an investigation reveals.
A British reporter posing as an agent for a buyer met with one man after he illegally offered his kidney for sale on the Internet, The Sun reported.
Nicky Johnson, 24, believing he was dealing with a wealthy Middle East family seeking a transplant donor for a family member, allegedly said: "I fell behind with the mortgage. I need some fast cash to dig myself out somehow."
"I want $46,000 plus expenses. Obviously I need an advance." He asked for $15,000 upfront but said he might take $7,000, the undercover reporter said.
Johnson was one of more than a dozen Britons offering to sell their kidneys via a Russian Web site. He said he would be willing to travel for the surgery which would take up to 3 hours and require a two-day stay, The Sun reported.
It is illegal in the United Kingdom to pay or accept money for an organ transplant. Tory MP Patrick Mercer called for Parliament to investigate, adding: "This is not only unethical -- it is extremely dangerous."
