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The police have revealed a criminal network for baby trafficking in Volos. Its members include a 53-year-old lawyer, a 24-year-old Bulgarian, mother of a 10-day-old child, whose baby would have been illegally adopted, as well as 4 citizens of Bulgaria, two men aged 45 and 40, and two women aged 33 and 66.

Today, the police department in the Thessaly region issued an official announcement about the incident which became known yesterday. The statement says that the illegal adoption of a 20-day-old baby was prevented within the organized police action. The baby would have been sold for 5,000 euro.

The child’s health booklet, 4 birth certificates, a translated certificate of the marital status of the biological mother, four envelopes containing documents regarding four different cases of adoptions of other babies, as well as 875 euro and 100 dollars have been seized. Three of the cases of illegal adoptions carried out in 2013 include Bulgarian biological parents, while the fourth case includes Greeks.

The arrested parties have been charged with the following:

The 62-year-old Greek has been accused of inciting illegal adoption and the 24-year-old mother of the baby - of criminal association and trafficking of a minor for a profit. The other people arrested have been accused of involvement in a criminal organization and mediation in illegal adoptions for a profit.

The chronicle of the case:

Late last September, the 53-year-old lawyer contacted a 62-year-old man via a 45-year-old foreigner who was a mediator. During the meeting, the candidate-father expressed his interest in terms of the adoption of a baby and agreed that the 45-year-old man would mediate the adoption of a boy for the amount of 5,000 euro. Later, in mid-December, the 40-year-old member of the organization brought the 24-year-old mother from Bulgaria and took her to Almiros, Magnisia. There, the pregnant woman was accommodated at his home, where he lived with his 66-year-old mother.

On 5 January his mother accompanied the woman in labour to the hospital in Volos, where the boy was born on the same day. After being discharged from the hospital, the 24-year-old woman returned to the house, and the mediator met the 62-year-old candidate-father again in order to confirm the deal.

On Thursday afternoon, following a telephone conversation with the candidate-father, the mediator and the lawyer, the candidate-father arrived at the house of the 45-year-old Bulgarian in Almiros. The wife of the mediator was also there, as well as another 40-year-old Bulgarian with the 24-year-old mother and the baby. After seeing the baby, the candidate gave them 50 euro as an advance payment for the adoption, and the full amount would have been paid at the time of transfer of the baby.

After the departure of the candidate-father, some of the police officers who were watching the house followed him and arrested him near Volos. The other Bulgarians, members of the organization, were also arrested immediately, and the mother was taken to hospital with the baby. Yesterday morning the lawyer, who connected the intermediary and the buyer, was also arrested.

During the search of the house documents were discovered which have been sent to the Prosecutor’s Office in Volos for further study. The investigation is continuing in order to find out whether there are other accomplices in the criminal network for baby trafficking and whether there are other cases of illegal adoptions.

The 45-year-old mediator and his wife have already been accused of the same crime in the past. In March 2006, they were arrested near Almiros at a pre-arranged meeting while transferring a baby for adoption to a female police officer who was pretending to be a candidate-mother. Restrictive measures were imposed on the man - a ban on leaving the country, as well as reporting to the police of his place of residence on the 1st and 16th day of each month.