China arrests 27 on charges of baby trafficking

Chinese police have arrested 27 people, mostly charity workers, who are accused of buying and selling babies through state run orphanages. Beijing News reported that the head of Hengyang county orphanage and six other members of staff, as well as 20 others working for orphanages in the province had been arrested on Monday. The day before, police had arrested a human trafficker in Qidong county who is accused of selling babies to the Hengyang orphanage for between $100 and $150. It is alleged that the orphanage then sold the babies on to individuals, or other orphanages for vast a profit. The orphanage is alleged to have been taking advantage of China’s one child policy which has lead to a demand for male children. It may also be that because the Chinese government funds orphanages according to the number of children they care for, orphanages have been willing to buy children.
It is not clear yet how these babies were obtained. Last year, 3,500 children were rescued from their captors in 1,975 cases, according to earlier state media reports.