Baby-smuggling ring exposed

PEKANBARU, Riau: Bengkalis Police have foiled an attempt to smuggle seven babies to Malaysia, a local police spokesman told Antara on Wednesday, exposing a ring of smugglers who have been operating for the past few years.

Deputy chief of the Bengkalis Police Maj. Nandang said police arrested five women and two men suspected of trying to smuggle the babies to Malaysia.

It was the second successful police operation on baby smuggling. At the end of 1998, they foiled an attempt to smuggle two babies to Malaysia.

The police have yet to determine who masterminded the plan.

Six babies, according to Nandang, were rescued in the Sukajadi area in Dumai and the seventh at Rupat Island.

Four of the infants are male.

"In Sukajadi, the babies were found in a back room of a house belonging to one of the suspects," he said.

The infants, aged one month to three months, are now at a health polyclinic of the Dumai Police.

The suspects are detained at Dumai Police Headquarters, Nandang said.(edt)