PESHAWAR: The police on Friday said it had busted a six members gang involved in the abduction of newborns from hospitals and maternity homes and hospitals in Peshawar.

SSP (Operations) Peshawar Abbas Majeed Marat, who was accompanied by SP Cantonment Circle Kashif Zulfiqar, told reporters at the Police Club that the gang members, including women, used to sell newborn babies to issueless parents.

Mr. Marwat said the police had recovered baby girl from the possession of the suspects and handed her over to parents.He said the suspects disclosed during the preliminary investigation that they had planned to sell the baby girl for Rs300,000.

The SSP said the gang had so far sold nine children kidnapped from various private hospitals and maternity homes with the connivance of doctors, nurses and other support staff.

Mr. Marwat said the police were tipped-off about the gang`s link with staff members of various maternity homes from where they abducted newborns.

He said on the tip-off, the police raided Dabgari Garden area and arrested LHW Wajiha on the suspicion of the abduction of newborns.

The SSP said the arrestedwoman told the police that the gang was trying to sell a kidnapped baby girl to Nadir Shah of Shah Qabool area in the capital city through Ibn Amin of Shabgadar area of Charsadda for Rs300,000 and that the baby was with Musarrat of Qadirabad area of Gulbahar. He said the woman also named other gang members, including Noreen Awan of New Rampura Gate, Nadia of Tarnab Farm, Anjuman of Dalazak Road, Anwar Pari of Gulbahar No 1, Ibn Amin and Nadir Shah.

The SSP said the police later raided Musarrat`s house and arrested all six suspects.

He said efforts were under way to arrest 10 other members of the gang.

Mr. Marwat said lady healthvisitor Wajiha Yaseem was a partner in a private Mohammadia Welfare Maternity Hospital Larama with another doctor and that she sold a baby boy to Lady Reading Hospital staff nurse Dilraz for Rs150,000 and a girl for Rs75,000 four years ago.

He said Wajiha sold another baby to Ibn Amin for Rs300,000 three years ago and that she later got a baby from another LHV, Reshma, and sold it out to a Mardan resident for Rs80,000.

The SSP said Wajiha secured two babies from London-based Dr. Fatima of Hope Centre and that one of the children was sold to Ilyas of Islamabad for Rs200,000 andtheothertoaprofessorfor Rs150,000.