The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Banaskantha has apprehended three more individuals in connection with an inter-state child trafficking syndicate, bringing the total number of arrests to ten. Among those arrested are two principal female agents of the 'Murugan Gang' and a man who sold his five-day-old daughter to the network.
Arrests Based on Technical Surveillance
Following technical surveillance, LCB teams traced the network to Telangana and detained two key women, identified as Rani and Shivarani, from Secunderabad. Both are residents of West Marredpally. Their arrest was made possible through information obtained during the interrogation of seven previously arrested suspects.
Modus Operandi of the Syndicate
According to Prashant Sumbe, Superintendent of Police for Banaskantha, the gang specifically targeted infertile couples, particularly those visiting IVF centers in Hyderabad. Trafficked newborn babies were sold to such couples at exorbitant prices. Agents earned commissions ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per child. Babies were often trafficked within 24 to 48 hours of birth from states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, and others.
The man arrested, a resident of Danta, had sold his five-day-old infant girl to the gang for Rs 2.8 lakh. A separate offense has been registered in this case, as well as in a similar incident in Amirgadh, confirmed Divyrajsinh Rathod, LCB police inspector. The kingpin of the racket, Bodasu Nagaraju alias Murugan, who is based in Telangana, has also been arrested.
Well-Established Network
Police investigations revealed that the syndicate operated a well-established network in Hyderabad and the Sirpur-Kagaznagar region of Telangana. Agents there identified prospective buyers and facilitated illegal adoptions. The entire racket came to light following the rescue of a four-year-old kidnapped boy from a Rajasthan family near Dhanpura on April 6. Subsequent arrests uncovered the deeply entrenched trafficking operation.
Authorities continue to investigate the case, with further arrests anticipated as the probe expands.
