Delhi Police bust inter-state child trafficking racket; 13 Arrested, 5 infants rescued

Delhi Police has busted a major inter-state child trafficking syndicate operating across multiple states, arresting 13 people including alleged traffickers, mediators, buyers and a hospital-linked accused, officials said on Thursday. Five infants were rescued during the operation.

According to police, the racket was exposed after a decoy operation conducted near RK Ashram Metro Station in Paharganj on June 5, where three accused were caught while attempting to sell a newborn baby boy, aged about four to five days. The arrested individuals were identified as Jyoti alias Kamlesh, Shalu and Lalit.

Investigations revealed that the syndicate operated across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, sourcing newborns through intermediaries and selling them to childless couples for high sums. Police said the group included suppliers, transporters, facilitators and buyers working in coordination.

Officials said Jyoti played a key role in coordinating the network, while other accused allegedly arranged infants from different states. The probe also found involvement of a lab technician, a driver, and a domestic worker who helped in transport and coordination of the illegal trade.

Police further alleged that a hospital owner was involved in facilitating illegal adoptions and preparing forged birth and medical documents to establish false parentage for the trafficked infants.

Several buyers, including couples from Gwalior and Panipat, were also arrested for allegedly purchasing infants for lakhs of rupees. Police said four more rescued infants were recovered from Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, taking the total number of rescued children to five.

All rescued infants have been placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee, while efforts are underway to trace their biological parents and dismantle the entire trafficking network.