In the case of the illegal adoptions and baby trafficking that transpired in Crete, a total of nine infants were involved. Through the utilization of DNA testing for positive identification, four out of these nine babies have now been returned to their biological parents.
According to Ekathimerini, these babies were originally born to surrogate mothers at Hania Hospital. With the consent of a prosecutor, an Italian couple has been granted custody of their twins, and similarly, two couples from Australia have been united with their respective infants.
For the remaining four babies – two sets of twins and two individual infants – outcomes are still pending. This is due to an Italian couple, a British couple, and a Greek couple stepping forward and furnishing DNA samples to establish their biological connections.
The allegations revolve around individuals associated with a fertility clinic, who stand accused of orchestrating an illicit organization engaged in human trafficking. Their activities encompass acting as intermediaries in the unlawful adoption of minors, violating laws related to medically assisted reproduction, forgery, disruption of family order, fraud, bodily harm, and violations of narcotics legislation.
As per reports, the group allegedly trafficked over 160 women from countries including Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Bulgaria, and Georgia. These women were used as egg donors and surrogate mothers.
In addition to these activities, the group is believed to have facilitated illegal adoptions and provided counterfeit IVF treatments to unsuspecting patients. Their illicit operations reportedly yielded profits ranging from 70,000 to 120,000 euros per baby.
It’s worth noting that Greece stands as one of the limited countries where commercial surrogacy remains legal for international clients.
Source: Ekathimerini
