[Growing]

Busted! Chinese Police Arrest Baby Smuggling Ring


AP, Saturday, December 3, 2005, 9:40 AM (ET)

BEIJING - The Associated Press has reported that police in southern China have arrested 16 people allegedly involved in kidnapping and selling baby girls as young as newborns to foreigners. 31 babies ranging in age from a few days to several months were kidnapped from the southern province of Guangdong and sold via middle men to two welfare organizations in neighboring Hunan province, the official Xinhua News Agency said in an article posted on its Web site Friday. The babies were sold for between $100 and $500 each, the report said. Xinhua said the ring, which had allegedly been in operation for two years, sold some of the girls to foreigners.

Full Article? http://apnews1.iwon.com//article/20051203/D8E8QSGO0.html

[foxl]

This does occur despite government oversight. A sad consequence of how far US dollars can go, in most adoption source countries, is that it does provide an incentive to criminals. Still, the risks to the criminals are enormous.

[foxl]

On the other hand, I sometimes suspect that articles might get planted by anti-international-adoption factions. I have heard of propaganda being generated by some very large agencies ... not adoption agencies of course!

If you have ever traveled in any of these countries, you are aware how many children there are, who are in need of homes.

[spaypets]

Rangeline,
I don't think it's appropriate to make sweeping judgements about international adoption based on this case. For one thing, in Guatemala, the birthmother has to prove she's the birthmother by submitting to DNA testing. So children adopted from Guatemala simply cannot be the victims of such crimes as outlined in this article.

It is awful and unthinkable that such crimes occur and every effort should be made by both the US and the country of origin to prevent such crimes from working. I commend the Chinese government for its swift action in cracking this case.

But to decide that international adoption in and of itself is corrupt is like saying the US banking system is corrupt because some people have been arrested for embezzlement. Or all fertility doctors are quacks because some have committed malpractice, etc.

Furthermore, your remarks can be offensive to those of us who participated in ethical, legal international adoptions.

[Mimi Morris]

I read the story via the link provided. Baby trafficking happens in all countries. It totally disgusts me.

I saw no reference, however, to International Adoption. Selling babies to foreigners is different from International Adoption no matter which country we are discussing. Black market baby selling and transport where the children never see the inside of a U.S. Embassy is NOT the same as international adoption.

Corrupt adoption practices do exist, BUT I think it is important NOT to link black market baby dealing that is total illegal from start to finish with international adoption.

I wouldn't want to be those people who did this in China - they aren't known for leniency with criminals.

What a depressing story...those poor families...