West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department on Friday rescued 10 infants from an old age home they raided while investigating a baby trafficking racket. They also found skeletal remains of infants in North 24 Parganas district where they found three babies, two of them hidden in biscuit cartons, at a nursing home on Tuesday. The police have arrested 15 people in connection with the racket, reported The Hindu.

Rajesh Kumar, additional director general (CID), told Hindustan Times: “We have exhumed skeletons of two babies from the premises of an NGO of Maslandapur in North 24 Parganas. We suspect more bodies could have been buried there.” He said the remains have been sent for postmortem to ascertain the cause of death. The 10 babies rescued were between the age of one month and 10 months.

Kumar said that at least 50 babies have been trafficked by the accused. The investigators also seized foreign currencies and gold from the owner of Sree Krishna Nursing Home that was involved in the racket.

Investigators said the group targeted unmarried women and poor couples. They often stole babies after telling the mother that she had delivered a stillborn, officials said.

The group sold babies to clients abroad as well. Childless couples were provided babies according to gender and complexion preferences, according to reports. While male babies were sold at around Rs 2 lakh, females were sold for half the price. “Fair-skinned babies sold at higher rates. This gang has sold approximately 25 to 30 newborns till date, but the exact number is yet to be ascertained,” an unidentified official said.