Author tracks world’s organ brokers, bone thieves in ‘Red Market’

Just how much are you worth — dead?

In Scott Carney’s new book, “The Red Market: On The Trail of the World’s Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers,” readers will learn that the body they have may be more valuable than they think.

While working as a teacher with a study program in India, Carney lost a student to suicide. Carney was responsible for seeing that the girl’s body was returned home to her family. But he discovered that the nightmare of the situation was just beginning as he had to jump through bureaucratic (and questionably legal) hoops to ensure that the girl’s body would be kept whole.

Learning how fast a person’s body (and/or pieces of it) becomes a marketable commodity caused Carney to want to check further into just how common an occurrence this might be around the world.

His findings are astounding.

Bones, kidneys, blood, corneas, hair and even children are highly priced items that are marketable on what has been dubbed the “Red Market.” Those who deal in this trafficking range from grave-robbers to respected medical institutions and professionals. Carney’s findings are not limited to third-world countries, although the practice is prevalent there, but also extend to the United States.

Carney begins his journey among India's grave-robbers, who scavenge funeral biers for bones to use in skeletons sold as learning tools to universities. He moves on to the prevalent and insidious practice of harvesting kidneys from the poor who are desperate for money in post-tsunami Indonesia. He then examines various foreign orphanages where stolen children are marketed to the highest bidders.

In each example, Carney documents what steps international governments are taking to stop the practices, but need, want and poverty make it nearly impossible to shut down the “Red Market.”

What I found most surprising and disturbing about Carney’s book were the chapters in which he addresses organ donation in the United States. He outlines and explains how, yes, the organs are donated, but the costs of transplanting are equal to that of the selling and buying in other countries.

And, if you don’t like the price here in the U.S., then there are plenty of other countries where you can have the same procedures done for less, but with questionable outcomes. It is truly chilling to read about these practices.

“The Red Market” is fascinating, however I advise not reading it when you’re having a snack. The details are often graphic but necessary in the telling of this story. I guarantee you’ll never look at the human body the same way after you’ve finished this book.