A report in The Independent has highlighted the growing scandal of Indian babies being bought from poverty-stricken tribal woman for as little as £75 and then adopted for thousands by Western parents.

The baby trade appears to be centred on the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, known as India's cyber capital because of its booming IT industry.

Recent raids by police on two 'orphanages' rescued 100 babies which were taken into government care. The child traffickers now face charges relating to the illegal adoption of infants.

Western couples are paying thousands of pounds to adopt these children. The adoption process in India can appear to be reassuringly lengthy and cumbersome and under the regulation of various official bodies.

But the recent arrests are pointing to weaknesses in the welfare system to protect these children from the unscrupulous traffickers.

The Independent's report revealed that the mothers of the babies are often willing to sell their children to escape their poverty but get only a fraction of the amount that Western adoptive parents pay the orphanages.

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See also

61 adoption home children rescued