Hyderabad, Feb 25 (PTI) An inter-state infant trafficking racket operating in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was busted on Tuesday, with the arrest of 11 people, including three childless couples who had purchased babies. Police rescued four infants from Gujarat.

Acting on a tip-off, police teams, in coordination with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), apprehended the accused, including K Krishnaveni and B Deepthi.

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They had allegedly bought four infants from Vandana, a resident of Ahmedabad, and sold them to three families in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through intermediaries, Rachakonda Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu said.

The infants—two boys and two girls, aged between one and two months—were trafficked between January and February for amounts ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4.2 lakh and resold for Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4.8 lakh, police said.

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Following credible intelligence, police intercepted Krishnaveni and other accused at the Chaitanyapuri bus stop at around 6 am, finding them in possession of an infant boy under suspicious circumstances.

Upon interrogation, they admitted to illegally buying and selling babies.

Further investigation led police to Deepthi's residence, where three more infants were found.

The accused, who operated as agents and mediators, revealed they had called the childless couples under the pretext of providing birth and adoption certificates. Among those arrested was an assistant professor who had bought one of the infants.

Krishnaveni, previously involved in a similar baby-selling racket, sourced infants through Deepthi and other associates.

She connected with Vandana via social media, who arranged for two boys and two girls to be sent from Gujarat with the help of other accomplices.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.

Efforts are underway to apprehend the absconding accused.

Police urged citizens seeking to adopt children to follow legal procedures and avoid dealing with unauthorised agents or mediators.

In May 2024, Rachakonda Police uncovered a similar racket involving the illegal sale of infants from various states, arresting 11 individuals, including several women, and rescuing 13 babies.

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