At the end of this month, four major baby trafficking rings were busted by authorities in Beijing and Jiangsu, rescuing 382 babies and arresting 1,094 people involved.

With the cultural preference for boy children and strict laws that permit families to only having one child, baby trafficking in China has risen steadily. The punishment for baby trafficking can be as severe as the death penalty, and these web-based operations had been under the watch of authorities for six months when their fronts were raided and members were taken into custody.

[Image via AP]