» 07/07/2012 13:10 CHINA Police uncover mega-consortium for trafficking children, 802 arrests Launched in recent days, the operation involved over 10 thousand agents in 15 provinces. Involved in the traffic: surgeries, clinics and hospitals. Officials lured pregnant women and families, promising up to 8 thousand Euros for the sale of their child. Children older than two years were sold at auction in the provinces with most requests. In case of illness the children were thrown out during the trip and left to die in the street.
Beijing (AsiaNews /
Agencies) - With a huge operation in 15 provinces, the Chinese police arrested
802 people involved in illegal trafficking of babies and children below six
years. The intervention of the police involved over 10 thousand agents inraids on
several hospitals in the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Sichuan, Fujian, Henan
and Yunnan, where for several years a veritable "consortium "for the
sale of babies to be auctioned had formed. Many of them came from families that
had violated the one-child rule, which forces mothers to forced abortions and
sterilizations. In total, the agents have rescued 181 children who were to be
delivered in the coming days to Chinese and foreign families.
A note from the
Ministry of Public Security said that the operation began in December in Henan with the arrest of
four people aboard a bus carrying a group of children to be auctioned. Questioned
by police, they revealed the names of the bosses of the local trafficking ring.
In April, the investigations were extended to 15 other provinces, from the
courier firms to clinics and hospitals.
From the information
gathered by the agents, the trafficking took place thanks to the complicity of officials
who signaled wealthy families of the opportunity to buy a child from women with
financial problems. Before agreeing, those interested visited the clinics where
they controlled the conditions of the unborn, sex, and in some cases the health
of parents. Children under the age of six years were instead sold at auction. To
avoid attracting attention while traveling, including several long days,
traffickers would forces the infants to take heavy doses of sleeping pills. Those
who fell ill during the journey were simply abandoned on the street in the
bushes and left to die.
Sun Jinli, head of Public Security Zaozhuanf, Shandong, said doctors
pocketed about 700 euros for each child sold. Trafficking bosses got up to 2
thousand Euros. The tariff for the families could reach figures in excess of 8
thousand Euros, especially for boys and in good health.
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