Spain: Six arrested in baby trafficking probe

A joint operation by Spain's National Police and Civil Guard has detained six people suspected of child trafficking in Extremadura. Investigators are determining how many babies were sold by a woman from Montijo who gave birth at home to avoid official records.

The investigation stems from disturbing allegations that a woman in **Montijo**, Badajoz province, gave birth to several children at her residence without registering them. According to the hypothesis held by investigators, she subsequently sold these infants to other families. On Wednesday morning, the **Family and Women Attention Unit (UFAM)** of the National Police, supported by the Civil Guard's Judicial Police, made six arrests and conducted raids in Badajoz, Montijo, and Linares, Jaén.

Police have not released official data as the inquiry remains open. Reports from **El Correo de Extremadura** indicate the suspect is a drug user who may have sold the children to fund her addiction. The total number of births is unknown, but more than two minors were sold, some of whom are now adults.

## Raids launched at nine in the morning

Simultaneous entries into homes occurred at **nine in the morning**. In Montijo, police raided a house on Argentina Street, arresting the woman and a man. In Badajoz, agents acted on Tenca Street in the **La Luneta** neighborhood, making three arrests. The sixth detention took place in Linares.

In La Luneta, the heavy police presence surprised neighbors. Some found it strange that officers entered that specific house "because there are no drugs here." When they learned the raid was unrelated to narcotics, their shock peine; they described the family as normal and said the child living there is well cared for. Officers cordoned off the street and searched the property for nearly five hours using forensic teams and police dogs. Several boxes of material and a shotgun were seized.

## Five-year-old boy and cross-border trail

For years, a boy of about **five years old** has lived in the Badajoz house. Neighbors claim his mother is the woman from Montijo. The minor is in the care of Portuguese residents of the home and attends a local school. This case is one of the threads investigators are trinc.

The main line of inquiry suggests the woman used intermediaries so that Portuguese families could buy the children, moving them across borders. This theory would explain the lack of documentary traces regarding births or handovers. The operation continues to identify and locate all victims.

## What happens next

The six detainees will appear before a judge in the coming days. The case falls under the jurisdiction of courts in **Badajoz**. The UFAM, specialized in crimes against the family and women, leads the investigation in coordination with the Civil Guard. Currently, there is no official count of trafficked minors or identified buyer families.

It is important to remember that this is an ongoing investigation and arrests do not equate to convictions. Any information regarding these events must be treated with the caution required by an open judicial procedure.