A baby-trafficking gang involved in the trade of 118 babies faced trial Wednesday in Yulin City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Fifty-two baby traffickers were charged for allegedly selling infants in rural areas in central China's Henan Province and east China's Anhui Province from 2001 to March 2003.

The gang was led by Xie Deming, Xin Lifang and their families. Other members include 11 doctors, nurses and medical workers in local hospitals, who helped Xin and Xie to buy infants at a price of 200 yuan (US$24) per baby.

A baby could be sold for up to 1,200 yuan (US$145) in Yulin City, and the price normally exceeds 2,000 yuan (US$242) if the baby was taken to Henan or Anhui.

Police tracked down the gang after cracking two baby trafficking cases in Guangxi in March 2003 and successfully saved 41 babies.

According to confessions of the suspects, another 77 babies have been sold and probably will never come back to their birth families.

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2003)