VIJAYAWADA: In a major breakthrough, the NTR district police have arrested a notorious child trafficking gang of five women and rescued three children.
The gang, which operated across multiple cities, including Hyderabad, Delhi, and Ahmedabad, was involved in selling babies to childless couples.
The arrested women were identified as Bagalam Sarojini (31) from Sitara Centre, Shaik Fareena (26), Shaik Saidabee (33), Kovvarapu Karuna (25), and Pedala Sirisha (26), all from Ajit Singh Nagar and Prakash Nagar.
According to NTR District Commissioner of Police SV Rajashekhar Babu, Sarojini initially met a woman named Vijaya Lakshmi near a hospital in Vijayawada, who offered her high incentives for donating embryos. Attracted by the monetary rewards, Sarojini repeatedly donated and eventually involved others in the racket.
Sarojini’s connections extended beyond Vijayawada, linking her to a woman from Hyderabad, Preethi Kiran from Delhi, and Anil, a mediator from Ahmedabad, who promised significant money in exchange for selling babies to couples desperate for children.
The gang primarily targeted couples visiting hospitals, posing as nurses working in government or private hospitals.
The police successfully rescued three babies from the gang’s possession and seized Rs 4 lakh in cash.