Child Trafficking Racket Busted in Krishna District!

A child trafficking racket involved in kidnapping infants and selling them to childless couples has been busted by the police in Penamaluru of Krishna district. The gang reportedly targeted children of beggars, migrant workers, and nomadic families to avoid suspicion. In a recent case, a 10-month-old baby boy belonging to a woman named Sumamma, who was begging in Autonagar, Vijayawada, was abducted on the 17th of this month and sold to a couple in Machilipatnam. Acting swiftly, the police cracked the case within 24 hours, rescued the infant, and reunited him with his mother. Further investigation revealed that the gang had also kidnapped another child earlier.

In a separate incident, a 16-month-old boy named Shivam, whose mother had migrated from Odisha for daily wage work, was abducted near Kanaka Durga Temple last month. The accused later sold the child to a childless couple in the One Town area, falsely claiming he was a relative. After learning the truth, the couple alerted the police. Based on the investigation, the police arrested three women—Ganta Mary, Pedamarthi Kanakamma, and Gandikota Guramma—for their involvement in the crimes. According to SP Vidyasagar Naidu, the accused, who worked as rag pickers and daily wage laborers, turned to child trafficking for quick money. Efforts are underway to safely hand over the rescued child to his mother.