MELAKA, Dec 20 — Police rescued three babies as well as a five-year-old girl after smashing a baby-selling syndicate using Instagram following the arrest of 14 suspects, including the ring’s mastermind, in an operation dubbed Op Pintas Nana.
Melaka police chief Datuk Abdul Majid Mohd Ali said the suspects, comprising 10 locals and four Indonesian women were arrested around Melaka Tengah from Nov 30 until yesterday (Dec 19).
“The mastermind, a woman known as Nana, 33, targeted married couples looking to adopt children and women pregnant out of wedlock.
“The modus operandi of this syndicate using Instagram with headline Mencari Anak Angkat Syurga (Finding Heavenly Children for Adoption) was found to be active since March last year, with a payment rate for purchase of a baby up to about RM12,000 depending on the agreement made between the syndicate and the couple,” he said at a press conference here today.
Abdul Majid said police are actively tracking down a 27-year-old woman who acted as a midwife for the syndicate.
"The unqualified midwife is believed to have handled seven deliveries which were carried out in several homestays around Melaka, with a payment of RM1, 000 for each birth,” he said.
He added that so far, police had successfully rescued two three-month-old boys, a four-month-old girl as well as the girl aged five.
“We are tracing three more babies, who have been sold to adopting families,” he said.
All the suspects have been remanded from Dec 17 to Dec 27 under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM). — Bernama
