A gang of 16 people have been charged with running an illegal kidney transplant operation, Beijing News reported.

More than 50 young people, most suffering financial problems, sold their kidneys to the gang for 20,000 to 25,000 yuan each. The organ was then sold to those desperate for a kidney transplant for as much as 300,000 yuan.

The gang includes licensed doctors and traders. They set up a secret clinic in a four-floor villa in Haidian District of Beijing rented for 7,000 yuan a month. They also fitted it with around 500,000 yuan worth of medical equipment.

This is believed to be the largest illegal underground transplant operation of its kind in the country, according to the paper.