Woman smuggling infant arrested at BIA

Rafik Jalaldeen

A 21 day old infant girl was rescued at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Sunday night while it was being smuggled out by a woman to Dubai, CID Anti Human Smuggling Investigation Unit, ASP Mevan Silva said.

According to ASP Silva following information the CID unit at the BIA arrested the woman at around 8.30 p.m. who was to take wing with the baby whose travel documents had been forged. "During interrogation the suspected woman had revealed that she had taken custody of the infant with the permission of the real mother who had given birth at a Maternity clinic in Colombo," he said.

Initial investigations revealed that the unmarried mother of the infant who is resident of Biyagama had sold the infant for Rs. 85,000 with the assistance of an employee of the hospital. "The mother of the infant had not received any money from the broker who had gone missing with the money. The real mother of the infant has been taken into CID custody," he added.

ASP Silva pointed out that the infant was to have been delivered to a childless couple in Dubai by the suspect." She had produced forged documents of the infant to the Immigration Department to obtain a passport. The 21 day infant was admitted to the Negombo hospital. The CID are conducting further investigations.