The Immigration Directorate of Thessaloniki announced that it has apprehended five Bulgarians (two men and three women aged 52, 51, 34 and 32 years old) as part of a gang that illegally sold babies, including the 27-year-old mother of an infant.

The police investigation revealed that the 52-year-old man and 51-year-old woman were the ‘brains’ of the operation. They would locate pregnant women and would negotiate would the prospective ‘buyers’. The other three members acted in a consultation and support capacity. The gang earned an estimated 15,000 euros from the sale of each baby, with the mother collecting about 3,000 euros.

On Monday the Police conducted an operation in Thessaloniki, where they arrested the 51-year-old Bulgarian woman with the 27-year-old woman’s two-month-old baby boy. The police then investigated the 51-year-old’s home in the nearby area and discovered the rest of the gang.

The police uncovered 11 mobile phones, 12 SIM cards and a wealth of documents and medical exams. The baby has been taken for care at a special hospital unit in Thessaloniki. The police will continue with their investigation in order to discover the possible involvement of further people.