Hyderabad: An inter-state infant trafficking racket operating across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was dismantled on Tuesday with the arrest of 11 individuals, including three childless couples who had illegally purchased babies.
Police also rescued four infants trafficked from Gujarat.
Acting on a tip-off, law enforcement agencies, in collaboration with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), apprehended key suspects, including K. Krishnaveni and B. Deepthi.
The two had allegedly procured four infants from Vandana, a resident of Ahmedabad, and sold them to families in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through intermediaries, according to Rachakonda Police Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu.
The rescued infants, two boys and two girls, were between one and two months old.
Police revealed that the babies were trafficked between January and February, sold for amounts ranging from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 4.2 lakh, and resold for Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 4.8 lakh.
Acting on credible intelligence, authorities intercepted Krishnaveni and her accomplices at the Chaitanyapuri bus stop early Tuesday morning.
The suspects were caught with an infant boy under suspicious circumstances.
During interrogation, they confessed to their involvement in an illegal baby trafficking operation.
A subsequent search of Deepthi’s residence led to the rescue of three more infants.
Investigations uncovered a network of agents and mediators who targeted childless couples, luring them with promises of fake birth and adoption certificates.
Among those arrested was an assistant professor who had purchased one of the infants.
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Krishnaveni, who had a prior history of involvement in baby-selling rackets, collaborated with Deepthi and other associates to source infants.
She reportedly connected with Vandana through social media, arranging for the trafficking of two boys and two girls from Gujarat with the help of accomplices.
A case has been registered under the relevant sections of the BNS Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Authorities are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend other individuals linked to the racket.
Police have urged citizens seeking to adopt children to follow proper legal procedures and refrain from engaging with unauthorised agents or mediators.
This incident follows a similar case in May 2024, when Rachakonda Police uncovered another baby-selling racket involving multiple states.
Eleven individuals were arrested, and 13 infants were rescued during that operation.
