Ahmedabad: A couple from Banaskantha, who work as daily wage labourers, sold their 10-day-old son because he was their fifth child and they could not afford another mouth to feed, said police. The cops arrested the couple and two child traffickers on Monday. The fresh arrests, which puts the total number of arrests to nine, is the latest development in a child trafficking racket that broke three months ago.A senior crime branch officer confirmed the arrests, noting that investigators are now trying to determine whether the child was born specifically to be sold, or whether poverty alone drove the parents to this decision.The case broke on Jan 29 when four accused were intercepted near Ahmedabad airport while allegedly carrying a 15-day-old infant to Hyderabad for resale.At least 20 tribal children are suspected to have been trafficked to buyers in Hyderabad over the past two years. Crime branch officers said the figure reflected both the scale of the racket and the vulnerability of the communities targeted.According to police, agents operated across remote tribal areas of north Gujarat, including Poshina, Kheroj and Idar in Sabarkantha district, and Danta and Deesa in Banaskantha district. “The victims were not chosen at random. Most belonged to poor families who had limited access to healthcare and education,” said a crime branch officer“Families were paid between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh per child. The price varied by gender, age and complexion. A fair-complexioned newborn boy fetched the highest amount. Girls and darker-complexioned children were sold for less,” said the officer.Five people have been arrested in the case but several others, including agents and alleged facilitators linked to IVF centres, are still at large, said police. Investigators are currently examining financial records and hospital documents to establish how deeply the clinics were involved.
