Dismantling a newborn trafficking ring disguised as adoption activities

Through the campaign to mobilize the entire population to actively participate in denouncing crimes and the work of monitoring the situation in online groups related to child adoption activities, Ho Chi Minh City Police discovered many suspicious information and documents on the sale of newborn babies.

Given the seriousness of the incident, the City Police Director directed the establishment of a special investigation project to focus on the investigation and assigned Major General Mai Hoang, Deputy Director of the City Police, Head of the City Police Investigation Agency, as Head of the Special Investigation Committee.

From the collected information and documents, the Task Force quickly verified, carefully analyzed, and evaluated the smallest clues, thereby discovering and summoning Nguyen Thi Anh Dao (born in 1989, registered residence in Vinh City, Nghe An Province) who was raising and keeping a male infant (3 days old) at a hotel in Ward 2, Tan Binh District.

Initially, the subject Dao admitted to using deceitful tricks to findadoptionDue to infertility, the couple contacted and adopted the newborn baby from Ms. TTTN (residing in Dak Lak province; the child's biological mother), but in fact left it to a couple in Ho Chi Minh City, illegally profiting 40 million VND.

Urgently fighting and expanding the project, Ho Chi Minh City Police identified a criminal ring of buying and selling newborn babies under the form of adoption run by Nguyen Thi Anh Dao, Hoang Thi Nhung (born in 1982, residing in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province), Do Thi Thuy Ngan (born in 1994; residing in Thanh Tri District, Hanoi City), Cao Thi Thu Phuong (born in 1983; residing in Tan Binh Ward, Hai Duong City, Hai Duong Province) operating on a large scale in 32 provinces and cities; with the participation and assistance of 6 brokers.

Initially, the Police Agency determined that from the beginning of 2024 until now, the above criminal ring, through closed groups on social networks, contacted and connected with women who had just given birth in difficult circumstances and were unable to raise their children to buy 16 children (aged from 3 days to 3 months old) for an amount of 10 million VND - 23 million VND/child. Then, they resold them for an amount of 35 million - 75 million VND/child, illegally profiting hundreds of millions of VND.

Notably, to legalize the sale of newborn babies under the form of adoption, the subjects connected with a ring of counterfeiting seals and documents of agencies and organizations led by Phan Phuong Nam (born 1989; residing in Long Binh ward, Bien Hoa, Dong Nai) to order fake birth certificates to legalize the adoption procedures and register the birth of the trafficked babies.

During an urgent search of a location where fake papers and documents were being made in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, Ho Chi Minh City Police discovered and seized 49 tools, vehicles, and thousands of fake papers of various types, including many fake birth certificates.

Following information from the above-mentioned seized fake birth certificates, Ho Chi Minh City Police established 9 working groups to urgently verify 84 cases of newborn babies showing signs of being bought and sold in 32 provinces and cities across the country.

Thereby, the Police Department promptly rescued cases of children who had been bought and sold; conducted handovers, coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to protect and take care of the victims' health. Notably, the Police Department discovered and rescued a 20-day-old baby boy who was bought by Vi Thi Anh (born in 1986; residing in Phu Yen district, Son La province; currently awaiting execution of 2 sentences with a total sentence of more than 12 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of illegal drug trafficking) under the guise of adoption to postpone serving her prison sentence.

In less than 30 days since discovering the source of information, Ho Chi Minh City Police successfully dismantled a ring of newborn trafficking, falsifying documents and papers of agencies and organizations, operating in closed groups on the internet; temporarily detained 16 subjects in the ring (including masterminds and leaders) who operated and carried out the act of buying and selling newborns in 32 provinces and cities nationwide for the crimes of "Trafficking in persons under 16 years old" and "Forgery of seals and documents of agencies and organizations".