Five women paid to be surrogate mothers were among seven Thais and two Chinese nationals arrested in raids on a transnational commercial surrogacy ring on Thursday morning. The women were among at least 100 women across the country hired by the gang to be surrogate mothers since 2012, said police.
More than 200 police and officials were involved in the operation targeting 10 premises in Bangkok, Pathum Thani and Sukhothai provinces shortly before dawn.
The raids came after a police probe found a gang of Chinese nationals were hiring Thai women as surrogate mothers. The Criminal Court issued warrants for their arrests on Jan 16.
The Thai suspects were identified as Wilasinee Su, 50, Lah Khantiyo, 43, Siyaporn Sawadipan, 30, Wiyada Chuechan, 35, and Saibua Jaemmee, 44, and two men -- Nikhom Simarat, 48 and Thammanoon Panjasangkhom, 40.
The Chinese suspects were identified as Ran Zhao, 37, and his wife Su Yingting, 48. A 10th suspect remained at large.
They face charges of colluding in transnational criminal activities and engaging in commercial surrogacy, which is illegal under Thai law.
Pol Maj Gen Torsak Sukvimol, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), said the probe followed a tip-off from the Department of Health Service Support about a transnational commercial surrogacy operation.
Police discovered the ring was run by Chinese people who hired Thai brokers to lure Thai women to work as surrogate mothers for 300,000-450,000 baht per pregnancy.
The surrogate mothers travelled to neighbouring countries for assisted reproductive treatment and returned to Thailand where they stayed until delivery. In some cases the surrogate mothers were sent to China, where they stayed until giving birth.
He said the network had offered commercial surrogacy since 2012, adding that at least 100 women across the country had been hired as surrogate mothers.
Investigators had earlier questioned women in Pathum Thani hired as surrogates and found that 15 babies born from assisted reproductive technologies were included in their household registration.
The investigation also found that at least 50 babies from surrogate mothers had been taken out of the country.
Pol Maj Gen Torsak said assets seized from the nine suspects included 16 vehicles with a combined value of 15 million baht, a house and a company in the Lat Phrao area worth about 20 million baht.
A police officer holds a baby delivered by an alleged surrogate mother following a raid in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district. The raid was part of a crackdown on a transnational gang surrogacy ring. photos by pornprom satrabhaya and Ratchawallop Police Retainers, King's Guard 904
A police officer holds a baby delivered by an alleged surrogate mother following a raid in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district. The raid was part of a crackdown on a transnational gang surrogacy ring. photos by pornprom satrabhaya and Ratchawallop Police Retainers, King's Guard 904
A police officer holds a baby delivered by an alleged surrogate mother following a raid in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district. The raid was part of a crackdown on a transnational gang surrogacy ring. photos by pornprom satrabhaya and Ratchawallop Police Retainers, King's Guard 904