WOMAN MASTERMIND OF BABY-SELLING SYNDICATE NABBED, FIVE BABIES RESCUED

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- The police have arrested a woman who
allegedly masterminded a syndicate which bought newborn babies from foreign
women for sale to childless couples in Selangor over the past five years.

Five babies, aged between two weeks and nine months, and on the verge of
being sold to willing buyers, were rescued by the police in two operations on
Dec 4 and 11, respectively.

Also rescued were two pregnant Indonesian women, believed to be illegal
immigrants, who were recruited by the syndicate with the aim of buying the
babies upon delivery.

Twelve other suspects, comprising syndicate members, four buyers and
'middlemen' were nabbed to facilitate investigations into the syndicate's
activities.

Initial police investigations have revealed that the mastermind, in her 50s,
and known as 'Aunty' to her clients, would pay RM5,000 (US$1, 466) for each baby
after the mother has delivered.

CID director Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin said the babies would, in turn, be sold
for between RM10,000 (US$2, 932) and RM15,000 (US$ each, to childless couples.

He said the syndicate had been operating in Klang and Banting for the past
five years.

In the first operation at a terrace house on Dec 4 in Banting, a police team

detained the mastermind and seven syndicate members.

"The two pregnant Indonesian women who were at the house were rescued by the
police. Here, we also rescued a baby and a three-year-old girl, believed to have
been on the verge of being sold.

"Our investigations revealed that the Indonesian women were promised RM5,000
each by the syndicate when they handed over the newborn babies upon delivery,"
said Mohd Bakri.

In the second raid on Dec 11, the police nabbed four people, believed to be
potential buyers of babies. The suspects included a company director, lecturer
and an accountant's assistant.

Here, the police rescued four other babies on the verge of being sold to
willing buyers. One of them is an aborigine baby.

Also seized were several telephones, documents pertaining to the sale of the
babies and copies of bank documents.

Mohd Bakri said all 13 suspects were remanded to facilitate investigations
while the five babies and the three-year-old girl would be referred to the state
welfare department for further action.

He said the modus operandi of the syndicate over the past five years was to
liaise with a Klang-based hospital to facilitate the baby's documentation.

Meanwhile, the police detained a suspected loan shark during a raid in Bukit
Perdana last week.

Bakri said the suspect, in his 40s, was believed to have earlier gone into
hiding overseas, following the arrest of his accomplices.

The latest arrest brings to 10, the number of loan sharks detained,
since August.

They were linked to a syndicate whose assets worth about RM49 million
(US$14.37 million) were frozen by the authorities.

-- BERNAMA