Thai police chase more suspected members of China surrogacy syndicate

Surrogacy

Bangkok, Feb. 14, 2020 (dpa/NAN) Thai police said on Friday that they planned to arrest further suspected members of a Chinese led international syndicate that uses surrogate mothers hired in Thailand to produce babies.

Police Maj.-Gen. Worawat Watnakornbancha, head of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, said that the police would ask a court to issue eight arrest warrants for the additional suspects – six Thais and two Chinese nationals – after having questioned other members of the group.

On Thursday, Thai police raided several locations and arrested nine people they suspect are part of a syndicate that offers Thai women the equivalent 14,500 dollars to carry a surrogate child before giving birth in China to give the baby Chinese citizenship.

Worawat said the syndicate has been running since 2012 when its operations were based in Thailand.

He said the group changed its activities when Thailand introduced new laws around surrogacy.

The hired women are now artificially inseminated in neighbouring countries, but the group still uses agents in Thailand to find new surrogate mothers.

Police Maj- Gen.l Torsak Sukvimol, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said at least 100 women were hired by the group to become surrogate mothers, and at least 50 babies have been taken out of the country.

Torsak said that the police discovered assets worth around 100 million baht belonging to the syndicate in Thursday’s raids. (dpa/NAN)

HS/YEE

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Edited by Halima Sheji/Emmanuel Yashim