Vijayawada: Two main accused among 12 held in interstate child trafficking case; SIT formed

Vijayawada: NTR district Commissioner of Police (CP) SV Rajashekhara Babu has formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the interstate child trafficking racket.

This comes after Vijayawada police busted a major interstate child trafficking racket that targeted poor families who have been unable to support multiple children.

The gang allegedly lured parents with money, bought infants and young children, and sold them to childless couples for hefty sums. The gang is believed to have sold at least 28 children over the last one-and-a-half years.

Police have arrested 12 people, including the main accused, Balagam Sarojini from Vijayawada, and Kiran Sharma from Delhi.

How did it start?

The racket headed by Balagam Sarojini, a resident of Vijayawada, entered into agreements with local gangs and appointed agents in Vijayawada and surrounding areas to identify prospective buyers.

These agents reportedly collected lakhs of rupees from childless couples and facilitated the illegal transfer of children. So far, 12 persons, including members of the gang, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Police identified Kiran Sharma from Delhi and Kavitha from Mumbai as key links who arranged the movement of children to Vijayawada, with other associates operating in Agra and Mumbai.

According to the Commissioner, Sarojini procured children through gangs operating in Gujarat, Delhi, and Mumbai, by Kiran Sharma, and transported them to Vijayawada for sale. Cases have been registered in Vijayawada and Hyderabad.

Investigators revealed that Sarojini had been released from jail less than a month ago in an earlier case but allegedly resumed the illegal activity soon after.

Modus Operandi :

Gang members reportedly approach pregnant women and nursing mothers from economically weaker sections, convince them that relatives are willing to raise their children, and obtain custody under false pretences.

Children were then sold to childless couples through intermediaries.

Each child was sold for ₹3.5 lakh to ₹4 lakh. Of this, Sarojini allegedly kept ₹50,000, while ₹2.5 lakh was paid to the gang. Those who temporarily cared for the children received ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, while negotiators were paid around ₹20,000.

Investigations also revealed that the prime accused worked as an agent for several fertility centres, arranging egg donors and surrogates and earning commissions. She took donors to a private fertility clinic after negotiations.

Police said multiple cases had earlier been registered against Sarojini in Vijayawada and Hyderabad, while several co-accused also faced cases in different police stations across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Infants' photos sent on WhatsApp :

Photos of infants from other States were shared with prospective buyers through WhatsApp. Once a deal was finalised, the child will be handed over after receiving the agreed amount.

These kids were temporarily housed with agents in Vijayawada and Sattenapalli until the transactions were completed.

Teams sent to Mumbai, Delhi :

Further investigation is underway to identify more accused and trace additional children trafficked by the gang. Police are currently investigating the case based on the information retrieved from the bank transactions and seized mobile phones.

“Special teams were sent to Mumbai, Delhi, and other places to trace and arrest kingpins behind the network,” the CP said.