The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, working closely with Banaskantha police, has arrested a man believed to be a central figure in an organised child trafficking racket that came to light after the rescue of a newborn last month.
Officials on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of Yunus, described by investigators as the suspected main supplier in the network.
The development is being seen as a major breakthrough in the case linked to the trafficking of a 15-day-old infant, who was rescued on January 29.
Crime Branch officials have been quoted in the media saying that Yunus was taken into custody after days of tracking his movements through a combination of human intelligence inputs and technical monitoring.
Yunus is a resident of Danta taluka in Banaskantha district.
Those investigating believe he played a key role in arranging the sourcing of infants and coordinating their movement through multiple intermediaries operating across districts.
The trafficking racket first surfaced when a joint team of the Gujarat Crime Branch and the Anti-Terrorism Squad intercepted a vehicle near the Ahmedabad airport area in late January.
During the operation, police rescued a newborn who was allegedly being taken out of Gujarat. Three individuals were arrested at the spot, while another suspect was detained for questioning.
The infant was immediately sent for a medical examination and later placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee, officials said.
As the investigation progressed, police found indications that the accused had planned to transport the baby to another state using road routes, allegedly to avoid detection.
Interrogation of the arrested suspects, along with analysis of call detail records, pointed to a much broader trafficking network with links outside Gujarat.
Yunus’ name emerged during this process as an important connector between local agents and interstate contacts.
Officials said his arrest has helped investigators better understand the structure of the racket — including how infants were procured, moved quickly, and delivered to buyers through layers of middlemen.
Police noted that such networks often prey on families facing severe economic hardship and rely on informal channels to conceal both the buyers’ and sellers’ identities.
Payments, investigators suspect, are frequently routed through unregulated means to avoid leaving a financial trail. Infants are often moved within days of birth to reduce the chances of recovery.
Authorities are now looking into whether Yunus and his associates may be linked to other trafficking incidents reported in north Gujarat and neighbouring regions.
At the same time, efforts are underway to trace the biological parents of the rescued newborn and determine whether coercion, inducement or other forms of exploitation were involved.
Officials said Yunus’ arrest is expected to lead to further disclosures about the scale of the operation — including the number of children trafficked, the routes used and the network of buyers involved.
All accused have been booked under relevant criminal provisions and child protection laws. Police have not ruled out more arrests as the investigation continues.
Also Read: Ahmedabad: Crime Branch Busts Child Trafficking Racket, Newborn Rescued https://www.vibesofindia.com/ahmedabad-crime-branch-busts-child-trafficking-racket-newborn-rescued/
