Raebareli Police Bust Alleged Child Trafficking Gang, Rescue 9-Month-Old Infant Abducted From Railway Station
Police in Raebareli have uncovered an alleged inter-state child trafficking racket and arrested nine people, including four women, accused of kidnapping and selling newborn and infant children.
The arrests came during an investigation into the abduction of a nine-month-old baby from her mother at a railway station earlier this month.
After days of surveillance and coordinated police operations, the child was safely rescued, officials said.
According to Alok Singh, investigators believe the network may be larger than initially suspected, and further arrests are possible as the probe continues.
Police said the accused belong to different districts across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand, indicating the possibility of a well-organised inter-state operation.
The case began on May 13 when a woman from Madhya Pradesh, who had been living in Delhi with her husband, boarded a train with her two young children after a domestic dispute.
During the journey, she reportedly became acquainted with a man and a woman who slowly gained her trust.
As the train approached Raebareli, the woman allegedly offered to help care for the complainant’s nine-month-old baby and took the child in her arms on the pretext of feeding and comforting the infant.
Police said that after the train reached the railway station, the accused couple allegedly distracted the mother by taking her toward a food stall before escaping with the baby.
Shocked and distressed, the mother later approached the Kotwali Nagar police station in Raebareli and lodged a kidnapping complaint.
Given the nature of the allegations, police also added charges related to human trafficking.
Investigators then launched an extensive search operation using CCTV footage, railway station surveillance, technical tracking, and local intelligence inputs to trace the suspects and the missing child.
Based on surveillance and intelligence leads, police teams conducted a raid near the Railway Colony area on Wednesday and arrested the accused. The abducted infant was rescued safely during the operation, officials said.
Police also seized the vehicle allegedly used by the gang during the crime.
According to investigators, the accused were part of an organised network that allegedly abducted and sold newborn and infant children across states.
The gang is suspected of targeting vulnerable women travelling alone with small children at crowded public places such as railway stations and bus stands.
Police believe the accused would first gain the confidence of struggling or distressed mothers before kidnapping their children and contacting other members of the network.
Investigators further alleged that the children were then sold illegally to individuals seeking to adopt or obtain babies through unauthorised means.
The case has raised serious concerns about child trafficking networks operating in public transport hubs and the vulnerability of women travelling alone with children.
Police said efforts are ongoing to identify other members of the gang and uncover the full scale of the operation.
