6, including mother, held over suspected baby trafficking

Last Friday, police in Kedah, Malaysia, arrested six individuals on suspicion of baby trafficking, including the mother of the infant involved. The suspects, ranging in age from 24 to 50, included two men and four women, one of whom was a married couple that had been childless for nearly five years. Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah informed reporters that a preliminary investigation revealed the mother allegedly used the identity documents of a childless woman to register for prenatal care and the baby's delivery at a private hospital.

The national registration department subsequently recorded the infant under the childless woman's name. The investigation originated after a hospital medical officer discovered that a patient had utilized another individual's identification documents during registration. Police allege that a 37-year-old man, likely the middleman, confessed to paying RM9,000 for hospital medical expenses and RM8,000 to the biological mother.

Two suspects were identified as the 49-year-old mother-in-law and 50-year-old aunt of the pregnant woman, individuals who were acquainted with the middleman. In addition to the arrests, police collected various items, including four mobile phones, appointment cards, receipts, a ward admission form, and a vehicle. All six suspects were placed in custody for 11 days to aid the ongoing investigation, which falls under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, specifically for child trafficking.

The baby remains under the care of the Kuala Muda social welfare department at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani.