Delhi, June 18
Delhi Police have uncovered an alleged inter-state child trafficking racket operating across several states, arresting 13 people and rescuing five infants during a wide-ranging investigation.
The operation began after a police decoy exercise in the Paharganj area led to the rescue of a newborn child. Investigators subsequently uncovered a broader network allegedly involved in procuring infants from different regions and selling them to childless couples through illegal adoption arrangements and forged documentation.
According to police, those arrested include alleged traffickers, mediators, buyers and a hospital owner suspected of facilitating the illegal activities. The investigation revealed links extending across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
As the probe expanded, police rescued four additional infants from Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, bringing the total number of rescued children to five. Authorities said the children have been produced before the Child Welfare Committee, which has directed measures for their care, protection, and rehabilitation.
Investigators alleged that the syndicate purchased infants for between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh before selling them on for amounts ranging from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
Police believe the network relied on a chain of suppliers, facilitators, and buyers to move infants across state boundaries before arranging documentation intended to present the transfers as legitimate.
Officials are continuing efforts to identify the biological parents of the rescued children and determine the full extent of the trafficking operation. Further investigation into the network and its connections remains underway.
The case has raised fresh concerns over illegal child trafficking and unauthorised adoption networks operating across multiple states, with law enforcement agencies expected to pursue additional leads emerging from the investigation.
