In Nikolaev, parents tried to sell their newborn baby.

In Mykolaiv, law enforcement officers detained a married couple suspected of attempting to sell their newborn child. According to investigators, the parents allegedly agreed to hand over the infant for $10,000.

The National Police of Ukraine reported this.

Investigators determined that a 21-year-old resident of Mykolaiv and her 38-year-old partner, the child’s father, had begun searching for people willing to purchase their unborn child while they were still in the late stages of pregnancy. Information about the possible crime was received by the police, who then opened a criminal investigation and began documenting the suspects’ actions.

As part of the sting operation, the woman acting as the buyer met with the parents and discussed all the terms of the agreement. According to investigators, the couple agreed to sell the baby for $10,000, receiving a deposit of 8,000 hryvnias. Furthermore, the child’s mother personally wrote a receipt pledging to hand over the baby immediately after birth.

The baby was born on January 1st, and the very next day, the parents began implementing their agreement. After handing over the baby and receiving money, they were detained by law enforcement near the maternity hospital.

The man and woman were charged under Part 3 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—human trafficking involving a minor. The court ordered their pretrial detention with the possibility of posting bail.