Large-scale scheme of selling babies abroad under guise of surrogate motherhood was exposed, - Prosecutor General’s Office
The criminal group sold newborn babies to foreign citizens for a monetary reward under the guise of a surrogate motherhood program. "Clients" paid from 50 to 70 thousand euros for one child.
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to the investigation, the criminal organization included 12 people. The organizers of the scheme are the heads of medical clinics that provide services in the field of reproductive medicine in Kyiv and Kharkiv. Other participants are employees of these clinics, managers, administrators, and a lawyer.
"Under the guise of a surrogate motherhood program, they sold newborn babies to foreign citizens living in countries where surrogate motherhood is prohibited," the report says.
As noted, the suspects searched for women who agreed to become surrogate mothers on the territory of the Kharkiv region.
"The amount of the monetary reward was from 50 to 70 thousand euros for a newborn child, of which 12 thousand euros are paid to surrogate mothers," the law enforcement officers added.
After the birth of the child, the surrogate mother permitted to take the baby abroad and consent to obtain the citizenship of another country. If the surrogate mother did not agree to certain conditions, the participants of the scheme were threatened and intimidated.
As part of the investigation, the facts of the illegal transfer of 8 babies abroad and the prevention of an attempt to take another child abroad during martial law were established.
More than 40 searches were conducted. Medical documentation, copies of passports of citizens of Ukraine and foreign countries, powers of attorney for the representation of interests, cash, laptops, mobile phones, draft records and flash drives were seized.
Information on about 40 facts of moving newborn children from Ukraine abroad in violation of legislation is being checked. Currently, the law enforcement officers detained by Art. 208 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine of five persons. The question of choosing precautionary measures for the suspect is being resolved.
