The Visakhapatnam City Police have busted an inter-state infant trafficking ring involved in the kidnapping and selling of babies, minor girls, and widows. This led to the arrest of 17 suspects and the rescue of 6 infants from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. During a press briefing on 19 August 2024 (Monday), Commissioner of Police Shanka Brata Bagchi detailed the operation, explaining that the investigation began after complaints were filed at Gajuwaka and Three Town Police Stations the previous week. The investigation revealed the gang’s extensive network spanning multiple states, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, and Delhi.
The breakthrough happened when, on 11 August, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) caught two men trying to sell a five-month-old infant near Harbour Park in Daspalla Hills, Visakhapatnam. Their interrogation led to the capture of seven additional suspects, with charges filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.
According to the police, the child trafficking racket involved a ward boy working in the CT Scan Department of King George Hospital (KGH) and a lab technician who were in contact with each other. They would offer money to couples who come in for CT scans and are willing to sell their child.
Continuing this routine, the two targeted a couple in KGH, offering Rs 2 lakhs to a couple to sell their child.
In a related incident, a woman from Vijayawada was arrested for purchasing a 15-month-old infant from Delhi with plans to sell the child in Visakhapatnam through intermediaries. Further investigations led to the arrest of two more individuals from Kadapa, also implicated in the illegal sale of children. Infants were rescued from locations in Marturu village in Anakapalli, Achyutapuram, Pedda Narava in Andhra Pradesh, and Jeypore in Odisha.
Commissioner Bagchi highlighted that the gang targeted vulnerable groups, including minor girls, widows, and economically disadvantaged families, to illegally acquire infants. These infants were then sold for sums ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Vijayawada, with Visakhapatnam emerging as a key market for the infant trafficking ring.
In light of these revelations, Bagchi called for enhanced security measures at maternity and neonatal care centers across the city. He has recommended the installation of CCTV cameras, 24/7 monitoring from a central control room, and the use of Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for mothers and newborns in Neonatal Care Units.
Under the Andhra Pradesh Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Act (2013), notices will be issued to these centers, mandating the implementation of these security protocols to prevent future incidents.
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