Baby peddling ring uncovered in Cyprus
NICOSIA (AFP) – Cypriot police are probing a lucrative Cyprus-Romania illegal adoption network where babies are allegedly sold to desperate couples for around $19,000, a Nicosia court heard yesterday. We are studying the possibility of sending officers to Romania to cooperate with the authorities there in collecting evidence in this serious case of illegal adoptions, detective Andreas Naoum told the court. A babies-for-sale ring is thought to have been smashed after the arrest of a Cypriot doctor who allegedly agreed to peddle a three-day old Romanian baby to a couple from Greece for almost $19,000. Police believe the man is linked to at least six other cases involving Romanian women willing to sell their unborn babies to wealthy couples in Cyprus and other countries. The 37-year-old gynecologist was remanded in police custody for eight days yesterday, suspected of violating Cyprus adoption laws and conspiring to commit a crime. Naoum said the doctor conspired with two other people to bring a seven-month pregnant Romanian cabaret girl to Cyprus to carry the baby to term so it could then be sold to a Greek couple.
