Sri Lanka Police today said that a suspect has been arrested for operating a ‘baby farm’ in Moratuwa where around 30 newborn babies are believed to have been sold.

Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said that a certain individual has used a video published on YouTube and Facebook several months ago as an advert to reach pregnant mothers including victims of sexual abuse and other helpless pregnant women, in order to get them to come to one of his locations where he runs some kind of business. 

He said that two such locations had been operated at C.P. de SIlva Mawatha and Daham Mawatha in Moratuwa and that a certain agreement is reached with these pregnant mothers at these locations.

Further explaining the racket, the police spokesman said that the suspect in question obtains the newborn babies from these mothers and sells them for a certain sum. 

DIG Ajith Rohana said that other countries call such rackets as ‘baby farms’ and that this crime falls under the category of human trafficking under Sri Lanka’s laws.

He said that as a result of extensive investigations carried out by a team from the Women and Child Bureau of Sri Lanka Police led by its directress, 12 pregnant women who were involved in this have been identified.

Five of them had already given away their newborn babies to third parties for money while three of them had their babies with them. In addition to this 12 pregnant women were found at these locations, in the care of the suspect, he said.   

The police spokesman said that a court order was obtained and investigations carried out while the suspect in question was arrested last night in Matale. Although he had operated this racket from Moratuwa, the 47-year-old suspect is a resident of Ukuwela in Matale, he added. 

He is to be produced before the Moratuwa Magistrate’s Court today.