China arrests 40 suspected child traffickers

BEIJING – China's state news agency says 40 people have been arrested for allegedly trafficking at least 22 babies for sale elsewhere in the country.

The Xinhua News Agency says members of the ring were apprehended Thursday in a series of raids involving more than 200 officers in the country's east and southwest.

It says the ring bought babies in Yunnan, one of China's most impoverished provinces, and sold them to families in relatively prosperous Fujian.

It says officials have traced 22 babies who were trafficked by the ring and are searching for others.

China's thriving black market in children endures despite harsh penalties, including death. Some babies are sold by their parents while many others are simply stolen.