AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Police Crime Branch and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) bust an inter-state child trafficking racket, rescuing a 15-day-old newborn from a moving car intercepted near Kotarpur, close to Ahmedabad airport, and exposing a baby sale network with links to Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
In a joint, intelligence-led operation, Crime Branch and ATS teams stopped a vehicle arriving from Himmatnagar and found the infant inside.
Three persons Roshan Agarwal of Hyderabad, Sumit Yadav of Uttar Pradesh, and Vandana Panchal of Ahmedabad were seated in the car and were arrested on the spot. The child was immediately handed over to the Child Health Officer for medical care and protection.
Investigations revealed that the accused had allegedly purchased the newborn for Rs 3.60 lakh from a trafficker identified as Munna alias Yunus in Himmatnagar.
Police said the plan was to transport the baby from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad and sell him to an agent named Nagaraj. Both Yunus and Nagaraj are currently absconding, and multiple teams have been formed to trace them.
“This child is only 15 days old,” said ACP Bharat Patel, highlighting the seriousness of the offence.
“We are investigating who the biological mother is and who acted as the middleman. Vandana and Roshan were earlier caught in child trafficking cases in Hyderabad. After getting bail, they resumed the same crime.”
Police records point to a wider and organised network. “Newborns are typically sourced from Sabarkantha and Banaskantha regions,” ACP Patel said.
“In this case, Yunus allegedly bought the baby for Rs 60,000, took care of the child briefly, and then prepared to hand him over in Hyderabad. Three different teams are working on the case.”
The accused are reportedly not new to such offences. In an earlier case, Hyderabad Police recovered three children linked to Vandana and Roshan, one of whom was traced back to Ahmedabad, reinforcing the inter-state scale of the racket.
Authorities are now probing the intended fate of the rescued infant, as such children are often allegedly sold to childless couples or trafficked under the guise of illegal adoption.
“Children are sold when women face social pressure such as premarital pregnancies or complications from extramarital relationships,” ACP Patel said, adding that the arrest of Yunus is crucial to identifying the child’s parents.
With the newborn now safe and arrests made, police said the investigation is ongoing. The search for the absconding accused continues as authorities work to dismantle the entire trafficking chain and bring all those involved to justice.