Newborn babies are being bought and sold outside Manila hospitals, according to a local television report in the Philippines.
GMA Network's Brigada programme claims that the underground trade in newborn babies is thriving around Metro Manila hospitals.
The programme reports that syndicates of women are selling their babies for as little as US$120 (3,700 baht) up to US$500 (18,500 baht), mostly to couples having trouble conceiving.
It also claims that some babies are being kidnapped to supply the illicit trade, with some hospitals tagging babies with wrist alarms in an effort to thwart kidnappers.
GMA reports that at Medical City in Pasig, "every newborn baby is attached with a mechanical tag which is paired with another tag worn by the mother" that will trigger an alarm if the two are separated by a certain distance.