World · Bangladesh Bureau
Child trafficking racket exposed under guise of adoption services
Investigators have uncovered a trafficking network exploiting vulnerable children by facilitating illegal adoptions and sales across borders. The operation targeted impoverished families seeking to place children, authorities said.
LSN Bangladesh ·
Law enforcement agencies have dismantled a child trafficking operation that used adoption services as a cover for buying and selling children from disadvantaged communities. The network targeted poor families, convincing parents to surrender their children under the premise of legitimate adoption placements while profiting from the transactions.
The scheme operated by identifying vulnerable households struggling with financial hardship and persuading guardians that adoption would secure better futures for their children. However, instead of legitimate adoptive placements, the traffickers exploited the children for labor or further resale, authorities said.
Investigators documented the systematic nature of the operation, with handlers maintaining networks across multiple locations to facilitate transfers. The syndicate charged families fees while claiming to arrange international adoptions, though many children never reached legitimate adoptive parents.
The case highlights persistent gaps in adoption oversight and child protection mechanisms in the region. Authorities are working to identify all victims and recover children still in the network's control, while pursuing charges against suspected organizers and facilitators.