Maharashtra: Pune police bust illegal child trafficking racket, six women held

PUNE: The Crime Branch Unit of Pimpri Chinchwad Police of Pune District busted a racket of illegal traffickers accused of selling newborn babies in Pune, senior police officials said on Saturday, adding that six women were arrested in connection with the case.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Assistant Police Commissioner, Pimpari Chinchwad, Vishal Hire said, "After a tip-off received by one of our officers, Vandu Gire, on Friday that a few women involved in selling new-born babies were on their way to the Jagtap dairy area in Pimpri Chinchwad for a deal with a client, a team of the detection branch, including senior officials, laid a trap and a sting operation was conducted during which 6 women child traffickers arrived in two auto rickshaws with seven-day-old babies, with the intention of selling them.

"He added that when questioned about the babies, the women provided vague answers.

"After being detained and interrogated, the accused women were handed over to the Crime Branch. They revealed that they previously sold five other babies for amounts ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh for each infant," the officer added.

The police also apprehended a nurse from a private hospital, who worked as a broker.

"She had a role in reaching out to the couple, who wanted babies but were unable to conceive. Over the course of events, some people, who were under fiscal stress, were lured by the nurse into selling their babies for anything between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh. Thereafter, the nurse sold these babies for anywhere between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh for each," he said.

ACP Hire added that police have started tracking down the locations of the trafficked babies and their biological parents who sold them.

"Our preliminary inquiry has revealed that the transactions went down mostly in cash. We are in the process of finding out the extent of this racket," he added.

All six women arrested were sent to police custody by a court till April 16, and a case was registered at the Wakad police station in Pimpri Chinchwad under IPC sections 370(3) and (4) for further investigation.