Police in northern China's Shanxi Province have seized 42 suspected baby traffickers belonging to a ring that allegedly sold at least 52 infants nationwide.

Officers said over the weekend that charges would soon be laid.

Two women, identified by their surnames of Zhao and Yan, are suspected of being the ringleaders.

Gang members allegedly bought male infants for 25,000 yuan (US$3,662) each or more and girls for about 19,000 yuan from 2007 in Shanxi's Yingxian, Shanyin and Huairen counties and Weixian County in neighboring Hebei Province, China News Service reported yesterday.

Many parents were told that their babies would be adopted by "relatives" of Zhao and Yan, police said.

Some of the suspects were reported to be in charge of collecting information on "suitable" babies and paid between 500 yuan and 2,000 yuan for each deal.

Boys were then sold by the ring for 35,000 yuan and girls for 25,000 yuan.

A routine police patrol in Yingxian on May 8 seized three members of the gang carrying a baby boy.

They told police they bought the baby from Zhao and Yan on May 5.

They had bought 13 babies from Zhao and Yan and then sold them, they told police.

The Ministry of Public Security and Shanxi's provincial police department were alerted. A task force was set up immediately and sent to Yingxian.

Zhao and Yan were seized on May 10.

More than 800,000 yuan in illicit money was frozen, the report said.

Some rescued babies still haven't found their parents.

The ministry has set up a Webpage at www.mps.gov.cn. This site contains information on 60 snatched babies, including their pictures, approximate ages, time of abduction, present location and contact details.

At least three of the listed babies have found their parents.

Authorities urged parents of missing children to get blood tests at their local public security bureaus.

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