The Register®

Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/07/16/man_sentenced_for_trying/

Man sentenced for trying to sell vital organ

Sidney, pass me the kidney

By Drew Cullen (drew@theregister.co.uk)

Posted in Music and Media, 16th July 2003 09:26 GMT

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An Austrian mechanic who tried to flog his kidney through the Internet has been handed a four-month suspended jail sentence and €2,000 fine.

The wannabe organ seller had advertised his kidney as a 'blood purification organ' - starting price €66,500. Which seems a tad unrealistic, considering that he is 48 years-old, and that you can buy healthy human kidneys (http://www.hon.ch/News/HSN/509405.html) from some third world desperate for a $1,000, or so. Of course, there's a retail mark-up, but any which way, this option is a helluva lot cheaper than the Austrian offer.

Our plucky mechanic wanted the money to prop up his girlfriend's ailing business. But when caught, he expressed (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=3090340) relief that he was still in possession of both kidneys, as one was playing him up.

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