Police in China have arrested 802 people on suspicion of child trafficking and rescued 181 youngsters in a massive operation spanning 15 provinces.
The Ministry of Public Security said the operation broke up two trafficking rings and the leaders were arrested.
It said the national operation was set up earlier this year after local police spotted trafficking signs, including frequent appearances of out-of-town pregnant women in a clinic in north China’s Hebei province.
Trafficking in children is a big problem in China, where the strict one-child policy has prompted a thriving market in babies.
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Courts usually mete out harsh punishments - including the death sentence - to convicted traffickers.
AP