SURYAPET: Thirteen members of a gang have been arrested for trafficking children for illegal adoptions.
Addressing a press conference, Suryapet SP Narasimha on Wednesday said that 10 infants — seven boys and three girls — were rescued from various locations across Suryapet and Nalgonda districts.
The rescued children include two male infants from Tekumatla, two female infants from Suryapet town, one male infant from Penpahad, two male infants from Uppalapahad in Suryapet district, one female infant from Chinna Suraram in Nalgonda district, and one male infant from Hyderabad. The children were handed over to the Child Welfare Centre in Nalgonda. The 13 accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
According to Narasimha, the prime accused, Yadagiri and Uma Rani of Suryapet town, operated under the guise of running an egg distribution business. They allegedly targeted childless couples and arranged illegal adoptions, charging commissions between Rs 10,000 and Rs 2 lakh.
The total cost per adoption reportedly ranged from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, depending on the gender of the infant. The accused visited the villages and, with the help of intermediaries — including the third accused — facilitated these illegal adoptions. Investigations have revealed links to similar operations in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Tip-off help bust gang
Acting on a credible tip-off, police first arrested two individuals who had illegally adopted children and the others subsequently