CHANGSHA, Dec. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Seven leaders and staff members of two welfare organizations in central China's Hunan province were taken into custody under suspicion of infant trafficking, the local pubic security bureau reported.

    Since August, public security police in Hengyang City had been investigating into infant trafficking involving two welfare organizations in the city.

    So far they have arrested a total of 16 suspects.

    A leader in charge of another welfare organization in Qidong County under Hengyang is also under investigation, said a public security official.

    In the past two years these traffickers have made 300,000 yuan (37,000 US dollars) by abducting and trafficking 31 infants from the southern province of Guangdong.

    "The abducted infants, ranging in age from a few days to several months, are all girls," said Xiao Haibo, deputy director with Hengyang public security bureau.

    This August, the public security bureau of Qidong County was informed that some infants were being abducted from Zhanjiang and Wuchuan in Guangdong Province to neighboring Qidong and Hengyang counties in Hunan province, Xiao said.

    In mid-November, the police decided to make thorough arrests and sent an investigation panel to Guangdong.

    On November 18, two suspected traffickers about to deliver three infants smuggled from Guangdong to the persons with the welfare organizations at the Hengyang Railway Station square were caught red-handed.

    Apart from the three infants, the police also seized a Santana car and 12,000 yuan (1,480 US dollars) on the spot.

    In Guangdong, police officers found a hideout, rescued two infants and captured another seven suspects.

    According to the suspects' confessions, in June 2003 they began buying infants from the Guangdong abductors at 800 to 2,000 yuan (99 to 247 US dollars) each. Then they sold them to the welfare organs in Hengyang and Qidong.

    Looking after them for a while, these organizations then sold them for 4,000 yuan (494 US dollars) each.

    Some of them were even sold to foreign adopters, said the official, adding that they are now looking into the hometowns and whereabouts of the trafficked infants.

    The cases have aroused the provincial government's attention and drawn strong public repercussion. Some interviewed citizens said the responsible persons deserve punishment.

    A special investigation panel has been commissioned for final verification. Enditem