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After eight months of operation codenamed The Babies the Greek and Bulgarian authorities smashed a network for infants trading which exploited poor women of Roma origin. Arrested are seven people in Greece and five in Bulgaria. They are charged of participation in a criminal organisation and abduction of minors, but other group members are wanted too.  

According to the information, the Bulgarian authorities alarmed for the activities of the criminal organisation eight months ago and both parties have held meetings at the headquarters of Eurojust in The Hague. There, Bulgarian and Greek police have decided how to work together to uncover crimes. The boss of the network and other members of the organisation were arrested yesterday in the Greek city of Lamia.

The criminals have found Bulgarian women of Roma origin in the last months of their pregnancy and convinced them to give their children for a fee.

The women were told not to go to a doctor in Bulgaria in order not to register their pregnancy. They arrived in Greece to give birth and then their children were taken to be given to Greek families. 90% of the women have voluntarily given their children for a fee of 100 to 1500 euros. Five people were the intermediaries who found poor mothers willing to leave their children. To persuade the mothers to give their child they usually told them: "You have many children. What would cost you to sell one to be able to feed the rest with the money you will gain?"

The women who refused to give their children were compelled by force to do it. The members of the network managed to obtain the necessary documents - birth certificates, etc. to be able to legalize the adoption – by presenting forged documents. A doctor and a lawyer who are already in prison were part of the group. The 39-year-old lawyer who arranged the adoption papers involved her own 19-year-old son in the scheme to seek prospective adoptive parents. The lawyer is a Bulgarian who has lived for years in Greece. Her son found families that wanted to adopt a child and paid the amount of 20,000 to 25,000 euros. The fee for boy and girl was different – the families paid 25 000 euros for a boy and between 18 000 and 20 000 euros for a girl.

At least 17 women aged between 18 and 40 years were revealed so far. They were transferred last year to Greece by members of the criminal organisation to give birth in Greek hospitals and then to give their children for adoption. The criminal leaders were arrested during the campaign that began in Athens, Lamia and the Bulgarian cities of Varna, Burgas and Yambol at 7 am yesterday. The bosses of the network - a 37-year-old Bulgarian and a 36 years old woman who lives with him - were found at their home. There was also found a newborn baby-girl only 25 days old. The baby was kidnapped from her mother and intended for sale. The group involved and the 33-year-old sister of the wife of the leader who took care of the women to the birth. She housed them in rooms in Athens and Lamia while they go to the hospital and in the days thereafter.
 
The Bulgarians have been going to Greece to sell babies to childless families from nearly ten years. European arrest and extradition to Bulgaria warrants are expected. The scheme began to be unraveled after a mother had refused to leave her baby but the baby was taken by force. The 29-year-old woman managed to escape and went to Bulgaria. This morning the arrested were taken to the Athens prosecutors. For the crimes committed the arrested can be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined BGN 100 000. The women who have sold their children are not subject to punishment because they cooperated with the authorities of justice with their testimonies