Chennai: Chennai police have busted a suspected child trafficking racket in Puzhal, rescuing two children, including a two-year-old girl, and arresting three women in connection with the case.
The operation began after Karthik, a local resident, informed the Puzhal police that an unknown woman had offered to sell him a male child for Rs 12 lakh. Shocked by the proposal, he alerted the authorities. Inspector Rajinikanth registered a case and launched a covert operation to track down the suspects.
Following police instructions, Karthik kept in touch with the woman and negotiated a deal. She reportedly demanded Rs 10 lakh for the child’s mother and Rs 2 lakh as her own commission, agreeing to hand over the child at a pre-arranged spot in Puzhal.
When the woman arrived on a two-wheeler with the child, police, who were waiting nearby, intercepted her and took her to the station for questioning.
During interrogation, she claimed the child belonged to a friend and that she was only helping with the arrangement. Based on her statement, police traced two more women to a house in Ambattur, where they rescued another two-year-old girl who was allegedly also being prepared for sale.
Initial investigations suggest that one of the women, estranged from her husband and in financial distress, had planned to sell her own child, with the other two assisting her in finalizing the deal.
Officers also found several photographs of children on one of the accused’s mobile phones, raising suspicions of a larger trafficking network.
The rescued children have been handed over to child welfare officials. Police are investigating whether the children were kidnapped, abandoned or obtained by other illegal means and have not ruled out further arrests as the probe expands.