China Busts Traffickers After Babies Auctioned for $7,800

From Bloomberg News:

"Little Moth" is a powerful drama about child trafficking in China.

Chinese police broke up child- trafficking rings in 15 provinces and arrested more than 800 people after babies were auctioned off to the highest bidder for up to 50,000 yuan ($7,800). Footage aired on Chinese television today showed a police officer involved in the raids wresting a child away from a woman who had allegedly bought it. Suspects and other rescued children were also shown being taken away by police. The July 2 raids involved 10,000 police and resulted in 181 children being freed and 802 arrests, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on its website yesterday. China‘s one-child policy and a tradition of favoring boys have been cited as contributing to the nation’s trafficking problems. A doctor at a clinic in Hebei province organized a trade in which pregnant women sold their children for up to 50,000 yuan depending on the baby’s gender and health, and its parents’ appearance, the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday. Some families from rural farming communities sell their female babies for cash because boys are considered more valuable at home.

Learn about the award winning film Little Moth, a gripping drama about a young girl ensnared in the world of child trafficking in rural China.