Baby traffickers on trial in China ( 2003-10-16 01:53) (Xinhua)
A baby-trafficking gang involved in the trade of 118 babies faced trial
Wednesday in Yulin City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Fifty-two baby traffickers were charged for allegedly selling infants in
rural areas in central China's Henan Province and east China's Anhui Province
from 2001 to March 2003.
The gang was led by Xie Deming, Xin Lifang and their families. Other members
include 11 doctors, nurses and medical workers in local hospitals, who helped
Xin and Xie to buy infants at a price of 200 yuan (24 US dollars) per baby.
A baby could be sold for up to 1,200 yuan (145 US dollars) in Yulin City, and
the price normally exceeds 2,000 yuan (242 US dollars) if the baby was taken to
Henan or Anhui.
Police tracked down the gang after cracking two baby trafficking cases in
Guangxi in March 2003 and successfully saved 41 babies.
According to confessions of the suspects, another 77 babies have been sold
and probably will never come back to their birth families.
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