Hundreds held in raids on child trafficking gangs in China

The raids highlighted China’s thriving black market in children – mostly involving buyers who want more children or as slave labour – which endures despite harsh penalties for traffickers, including death.

It was not clear from the reports posted on the Ministry of Public Security website yesterday whether sex abuse might also have been a motive.

One case stretched across 14 provinces in China and the other involved a trafficking ring which mainly sold children in Vietnam through neighbouring Guangxi province.

A report by the People’s Daily, posted on the ministry’s website, said raids were carried out on July 20 in 14 provinces in the south, east and north of the country. The operation involved 2,600 officers and the People’s Daily said the youngest child was 10 days old and the oldest four years.

A total of 89 minors were rescued and 369 suspects arrested in both operations, the reports said.