Iran baby snatching ring broken up

TEHRAN - Iranian police have broken up a gang suspected of snatching at least 63 babies from hospitals and selling them to childless couples, an Iranian daily said yesterday. The gang of 26 men and women, including two doctors, other hospital staff and state registration employees, operated in Tehran and two neighbouring cities of Karaj and Shahr-e Ray.

"After snatching the new-born babies, they would tell the parents the baby had died after labour and been buried afterwards," Judiciary Spokesman Jamal Karimirad was quoted as saying by Sharq daily.

Other members of the gang would then seek out parents unable to have children and sell the babies for $1100 ($1650) to $3300.

Agents in state registration offices would issue identification cards for the babies in the names of their new parents.

The real identities of eight babies have already been found out and two have been returned to their real parents.

- REUTERS