My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 425

The money they demanded was a staggering $250,000, approximately 300 million Korean won.

The grim reality was that most families simply couldn’t afford it, leaving their loved ones to die.

‘Even if they paid the ransom, most victims weren’t sent back home.’

It wasn’t as if no one ever escaped through sheer luck. However, international authorities largely ignored their reports, even Taiwan, which sparked considerable outrage there.

‘That’s why I remember the case so vividly.’

If it had been just another overseas organ trafficking incident, Park Do-joon likely wouldn’t recall it with such precision. But this case exploded into a major scandal when the Taiwanese government, upon learning the details, essentially turned a blind eye.

The few survivors who managed to escape or whose families were fortunate enough to pay for their release reported the atrocities to the Taiwanese government, but their pleas were ignored.

‘Now that I think about it, there were some very strange rumors going around at the time.’

The Taiwanese government, seemingly helpless, gritted its teeth and pretended to be unaware of such a significant crisis.

And it wasn’t just the Taiwanese government; other countries also seemed intent on ignoring the situation.

Furthermore, despite an estimated 5,000 victims, no official investigation records or progress reports were ever released to the press, even after the case became public knowledge. This led to speculation that it wasn’t merely the work of a violent criminal organization but rather an overseas organ trafficking ring systematically operated, perhaps, by elements within China.

Knowing this, governments around the world likely feared the potential fallout from investigating and possibly implicating China, so they ultimately chose to remain silent.

‘Actually, there was a valid reason for such speculation.’

While the initial reports focused on Myanmar, later information suggested that Cambodia and Vietnam were also involved.

Moreover, the methods employed were incredibly brutal. Kidnapped individuals were often forced to make fraudulent calls to other Taiwanese citizens, engaging in what’s known as “voice phishing” [a type of phone scam].

They were either tricked into this living hell or forced to extract money from others.

Success meant survival, but failure to meet quotas resulted in severe group beatings, and in the worst cases, victims were dragged away, their organs harvested and sold on the black market.

‘To survive, they were forced to contribute to the cycle of death, creating a truly vicious system.’

Beyond that particular location, other labor camps existed where people were forced into grueling work. If someone with a desirable genetic profile appeared, they would be abducted, murdered, and their organs sold.

‘Well, it’s not entirely implausible that China could be involved in something like this.’

China already has a well-established system for supplying organs, reducing the need to engage in risky overseas trafficking operations. People seeking transplants often travel to China to purchase organs anyway.

However, this situation was complicated by a web of intertwined political issues.

If rumors spread, countries risked being perceived as engaging in state-sponsored kidnapping and organ harvesting. To avoid this damaging image, they were compelled to suppress the truth. In Taiwan’s case, there was a desire to help, but the countries where these atrocities occurred did not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and maintained pro-China stances, further complicating matters.

In essence, even if Taiwan requested assistance, they were likely met with dismissive responses like, ‘You’re not even a real country; stop causing trouble.’ Consequently, Taiwan’s ability to investigate was severely limited.

These complex factors prevented Taiwan from effectively resolving the crisis.

“What’s got you so deep in thought?”

“Oh, it’s just a recent case I’ve been pondering.”

“A recent case?”

“Actually, I recently became involved in something related to Myanmar.”

As Park Do-joon shared what he knew, Yoon Tae-min’s expression grew increasingly grim.

“Is that really happening?”

“Yes, it’s quite possible.”

“How could we not know about this?”

“Because it’s essentially a scam. People who are scammed while attempting to commit crimes themselves tend to keep it quiet.”

Even if they survive, they’re likely to cover it up, and even if they believe they’re facing death, they don’t want to meet their end in such a shameful manner.

“It sounds like these two organizations might be connected.”

“Connected? Their methods seem completely different.”

“The profit models differ, but the initial setup and preparation are remarkably similar.”

Both involve extensive planning and preparation, and both rely on deception, mobilizing significant resources and personnel to fool their victims.

In Korea’s case, victims are lured to China under false pretenses and then scammed, while in Taiwan’s case, they’re lured to Southeast Asia and have their organs harvested.

“The fundamental strategic goal of deceiving the other party remains the same.”

“But the profit methods are different, right? Why don’t they just target people in Korea?”

“Korea is a sovereign nation.”

Korea maintains official diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian countries. What would happen if such a thing occurred within Korea? They would undoubtedly attempt to rescue their citizens by any means necessary.

“If this happened in Korea, they’d send in a rescue team, possibly even the military, wouldn’t they? Especially if there were thousands of victims.”

Yoon Tae-min nodded in agreement. Regardless of the perceived incompetence of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if something like this were to happen within Korea’s borders instead of Taiwan’s, the government would likely launch a rescue operation, even if it meant risking war.

For a sovereign nation to declare its intention to send special forces on a rescue mission, any attempt by a Southeast Asian country to block them would be tantamount to declaring economic or even outright war. From the perspective of a Southeast Asian country, even if they couldn’t deploy their own troops to stop it, preventing Korea from conducting a rescue operation would be extremely difficult.

Blocking them would invite severe retaliation from Korea.

“And Korea’s economic power is considerable.”

Koreans may often criticize their own country, even calling it “Hell Korea,” but from the perspective of Southeast Asian nations, a war with Korea would be incredibly disadvantageous, especially when they were the ones who provoked it.

“It would be difficult for them to even mobilize their military to suppress the situation.”

They lack the necessary military equipment and combat capabilities, and the death of even one Korean victim would invite severe repercussions.

“So, harvesting organs from Korean victims is a risky proposition.”

“Instead, they take their money.”

“Yes, it’s a clever approach.”

They target criminals who are unlikely to report the crime. Moreover, the victims are often injected with immunosuppressants, further complicating matters.

Even if they do report it, their life expectancy is significantly reduced. And even if the criminals are caught, the location where the scam originated is China, not Southeast Asia.

“The police’s investigation naturally focuses on China.”

In fact, until Park Do-joon discovered the existence of the organ trafficking site, he strongly suspected that the criminal organization was based in China.

“In Taiwan’s case, as I mentioned, they lure victims and traffic their organs. This is possible because Taiwan isn’t recognized as a sovereign nation.”

If Taiwan were a recognized country, Southeast Asian nations would be obligated to offer some form of resolution due to international customs and protocols.

But because it lacks that formal recognition, its authority to engage in official diplomatic exchanges is limited, making this type of exploitation possible, resulting in an estimated 5,000 victims.

‘Of course, the actual number of victims remains unknown.’

Even that figure of 5,000 is the last number that appeared in any news report.

After that, all follow-up reports vanished as if deliberately suppressed, leaving the true number of victims, whether it’s 5,000 or tens of thousands, a mystery.

“Is that all?”

“No, there’s more. I suspect that both operations demonstrate a high level of criminal intelligence.”

The methods used to deceive victims, extort money, and eliminate Korean victims with immunosuppressants to prevent future investigations, as well as the tactics used to lure people to Southeast Asia under the guise of employment and then harvest and sell their organs, are all incredibly sophisticated and require extensive planning.

‘Moreover, if I remember correctly, only 67 criminals were arrested in connection with the Taiwanese case.’

Can just 67 people really control and exploit 5,000 victims? It seems highly improbable. Of course, the 5,000 cases didn’t all occur simultaneously, but even if you consider it in smaller batches, say 500 victims at a time or over 1,000 victims per year, it’s hard to believe that 67 individuals could effectively suppress them and manage the organ harvesting operation.

‘And detaining the targets doesn’t fit the typical profile of a criminal organization.’

A typical organ trafficking organization wouldn’t usually hold thousands of people captive and kill them only when a genetically matched recipient is found.

Because there are significant maintenance costs involved. Feeding and housing them costs money, and the very act of holding so many people creates a high risk of detection.

‘Moreover, according to the news reports at the time, they were selecting targets and selling their organs whenever a genetically compatible person became available.’

But the individuals arrested were reportedly 67 illiterate Chinese gang members.

‘If that were the case, they would likely just harvest and sell any organs, regardless of genetic compatibility.’

In fact, that’s a common problem with illegal organ trafficking.

Even if organs are illegally trafficked, they often lack genetic compatibility, forcing recipients to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives, leading to a higher risk of death from disease, or the transplanted organ fails within a few months to a few years, creating a desperate need for another illegal transplant.

Such individuals become repeat customers for the traffickers. But these traffickers are supposedly using genetic testing to find suitable matches and reduce side effects?

‘Where would they get the money for that?’

Acquiring and maintaining that kind of equipment and facilities is no easy feat.

It requires a substantial investment. But would 67 illiterate individuals make that kind of investment?

Highly unlikely.

Of course, this was just Park Do-joon’s personal theory, so he couldn’t voice it directly.

However, he wasn’t completely without something to contribute.

“Both cases share the common element of organ trafficking. Additionally, they both involve sophisticated manipulation of the victims. The way they evade tracking and block access suggests a deep understanding of legal loopholes and human psychology. Whoever analyzed this has a keen insight into group psychology.”

“You think they have insight into group psychology?”

“At the very least, a psychologist… perhaps even a profiler like myself.”

Yoon Tae-min’s face tightened at those words. He hadn’t anticipated that a mere criminal organization would possess that level of analytical capability.

‘No, I can’t afford to ignore this.’

He had only recently confronted individuals who attempted to manipulate the country’s economy for their own gain. He had witnessed firsthand how money and power can corrupt people, so he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

“Then, do you think Lee Sang-won is dead?”

“I honestly don’t know. If Lee Sang-won was smart, he might have survived, but if he was foolish, he’s likely dead….”

“What do you mean?”

“If he revealed that his father was a Korean politician, the criminals would have likely killed him and buried him to minimize the risk. But if he kept it a secret, they might have kept him alive and used him for forced labor.”

Ultimately, it depends on the choices he made.

“But one thing is certain: we don’t have much time.”

Park Do-joon spoke with conviction, and Yoon Tae-min immediately reached for his cell phone.

“Assemblyman Lee Eok-ho, I believe we need to meet with you right away.”

The pressure of time began to close in around them.

Profiler by Trade