Day 13 May 24 2008, Saturday

Death Toll: 60, 650
Injury Toll: 352,290
Missing Toll: 26,221


Human traffickers busted for kidnapping babies from quake areas

Police in China busted a gang of five young women and one man for kidnapping babies from quake affected areas. They were first seen carried babies into a hotel and the proprietor's suspicions were aroused when the babies were all silent and asleep.

When they were questioned at the police station the women claimed to be mothers of the babies taking a train out of town to look for relatives. When their bags were searched, the police found nothing apart from diapers, milk powder and sleeping pills used to drug the babies.

The women later revealed that they were promised 1,500 yuan (about US$ 210) for each baby they smuggled out.

Adoption trafficking has been a lucrative form of illicit human smuggling activity in China, which is a popular country of choice for overseas couples looking to adopt. In the US alone, 5, 453 Chinese babies were adopted last year.

On average couples pay between US$20,000 and 25,000 to adopt a child. The problem arises when babies less than a year old are either sold by their parents or abducted and turned over to unorthodox orphanages for US$100 each. These orphanages then receive US $300 for every child that is placed.

Local police say they have found 37 such cases in the quake-affected areas.


Chinese President Hu Jintao visit a tent-making factory in Zhejiang Province

The factory had taken on the manufacture of 36,000 tents for the affected areas. 500 machines and 800 workers are operating 24 hours to rush production.