Five babies were rescued from a baby-trafficking syndicate at various locations in Selangor after the arrest of 15 people, including two mothers and a 50-year-old woman who took care of them.
The arrests also included two couples who wanted to buy the babies, aged two weeks to nine months, from the syndicate, which was led by a doctor who owns a private medical centre in Klang.
Police were still looking for the doctor, who went into hiding soon after the arrests were made early this month.
Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said the babies were sold for RM15,000 ($6,100) each or more, depending on the looks and health of the infant.
He said a three-year-old boy who could not be "sold" was also rescued from the syndicate that paid Filipino, Vietnamese and Indonesian women to have children.
"The syndicate operated in Banting, Klang and Kajang and recruited the foreign women who entered the country illegally. They were taken care by the 50-year-old woman," he added.
Since 1990, police have smashed several such syndicates. However, the racket has continued to thrive because of demand from childless couples wanting babies through any means possible.
Bakri said the five rescued babies are in stable condition and will be placed under the care of the Welfare Department after a medical examination.
"We are looking for a doctor, believed to be the leader of the syndicate, who owned a private medical centre in Jalan Pasar, Klang where the babies were delivered.
"The doctor had gone into hiding soon after two couples who wanted to purchase the babies were arrested last Friday. The couples included a university lecturer and a company manager who were nabbed in Kajang," Bakri said after presenting commendation letters to policemen at the senior officers mess in Bukit Aman here Monday.
He said the syndicate, operating out of Banting, Kajang and Klang sourced for potential buyers via word-of-mouth, adding that police believe there are more foreign women working for the syndicate.
"To further convince the buyers, the syndicate will produce legitimate documents with the help of the doctor," Bakri said.
He said following a tip-off on Dec 4, a police team from Bukit Aman caught the family of nine in Banting and Klang.
The syndicate then brought police to different houses located in Banting and Klang where the two baby girls and three baby boys were found.
Initial investigations revealed that the foreign women hired as mothers were promised RM5,000 for each baby but they were only paid RM2,000 or less.
"The syndicate would claim that the babies were not up to the buyers' standards and as the child did not fetch the expected price, the mothers were paid lower fees.
"Further investigations also showed that local men, especially orang asli (aborigines), were also paid by the syndicate to 'produce' the babies with the foreign women," Bakri said.
He said police are investigating the case under Section 48 (1) of the Child Act 2001 for transporting a baby for profit and Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007 for trafficking in children.
-The Star/Asia News Network
The arrests also included two couples who wanted to buy the babies, aged two weeks to nine months, from the syndicate, which was led by a doctor who owns a private medical centre in Klang.
Police were still looking for the doctor, who went into hiding soon after the arrests were made early this month.
Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said the babies were sold for RM15,000 ($6,100) each or more, depending on the looks and health of the infant.
He said a three-year-old boy who could not be "sold" was also rescued from the syndicate that paid Filipino, Vietnamese and Indonesian women to have children.
"The syndicate operated in Banting, Klang and Kajang and recruited the foreign women who entered the country illegally. They were taken care by the 50-year-old woman," he added.
Since 1990, police have smashed several such syndicates. However, the racket has continued to thrive because of demand from childless couples wanting babies through any means possible.
Bakri said the five rescued babies are in stable condition and will be placed under the care of the Welfare Department after a medical examination.
"We are looking for a doctor, believed to be the leader of the syndicate, who owned a private medical centre in Jalan Pasar, Klang where the babies were delivered.
"The doctor had gone into hiding soon after two couples who wanted to purchase the babies were arrested last Friday. The couples included a university lecturer and a company manager who were nabbed in Kajang," Bakri said after presenting commendation letters to policemen at the senior officers mess in Bukit Aman here Monday.
He said the syndicate, operating out of Banting, Kajang and Klang sourced for potential buyers via word-of-mouth, adding that police believe there are more foreign women working for the syndicate.
"To further convince the buyers, the syndicate will produce legitimate documents with the help of the doctor," Bakri said.
He said following a tip-off on Dec 4, a police team from Bukit Aman caught the family of nine in Banting and Klang.
The syndicate then brought police to different houses located in Banting and Klang where the two baby girls and three baby boys were found.
Initial investigations revealed that the foreign women hired as mothers were promised RM5,000 for each baby but they were only paid RM2,000 or less.
"The syndicate would claim that the babies were not up to the buyers' standards and as the child did not fetch the expected price, the mothers were paid lower fees.
"Further investigations also showed that local men, especially orang asli (aborigines), were also paid by the syndicate to 'produce' the babies with the foreign women," Bakri said.
He said police are investigating the case under Section 48 (1) of the Child Act 2001 for transporting a baby for profit and Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007 for trafficking in children.
-The Star/Asia News Network