HANOI, Aug 28, 2024 (AFP) - Police in Vietnam have arrested more than a dozen people in connection with a baby smuggling ring that trafficked 16 newborns across several cities and provinces in the country, state media said Wednesday.

Sixteen men and women have been taken into custody for trading the babies aged between three days and three months old, according to the official newspaper of Ho Chi Minh City Police.

The gang targeted women through closed groups on social media, exploiting those who were struggling to provide and care for their children.

They bought each baby at a cost of between $400 and $930, the report said.

The gang then falsified adoption documents and resold them for between $1,400 and $3,000.

Police have investigated 84 suspected baby trafficking cases that have occured since the beginning of the year in 32 cities and provinces.