Thailand surrogacy raid uncovers nine babies

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div id="nrelate_flyout_placeholder"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Police have found nine babies in a Bangkok apartment, fuelling concerns about Thailand’s surrogacy industry,<em>Sky News</em> reports.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A Japanese millionaire is reportedly the father of the youngsters, who are believed to have been born to Thai surrogate mothers.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Officers who raided the luxury home also found nine nannies and a pregnant woman who claimed to be a surrogate mother, according to reports in Thailand.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It follows a scandal that erupted after an anonymous Australian couple were accused of abandoning a baby boy with Down’s syndrome, while taking home his twin sister.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seven-month-old Gammy, who also suffers from a life-threatening heart condition, was left with his impoverished Thai surrogate mother Pattharamon Janbua, 21.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There were no documents found with the nine children, who are thought to be between two weeks and two years old.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Thai authorities said they will carry out DNA tests to determine who their biological fathers and mothers are.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The nannies told police they were paid the equivalent of £180 a month to look after the children.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Surrogacy is illegal in Thailand – unless it is with a relative – and offering money to carry a baby is also prohibited.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But following worldwide publicity of Gammy’s case, Thai authorities have vowed to increase punishments and close loopholes which they say are being exploited by foreigners seeking Thai surrogates.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meanwhile, Australian child protection officials have finally contacted the couple accused of abandoning Gammy after visits to their home in Bunbury, south of Perth, went unanswered.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They would not comment on the nature of the discussions with the pair, who cannot be named for legal reasons, or the welfare of Gammy’s twin sister.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It came after it was reported the 56-year-old father is a convicted paedophile.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He was jailed in the 1990s of 22 child sex abuse charges involving girls as young as seven, ABC said.</span></div> </div> <div class="story-bottom" style="position: relative; text-align: center; top: -10px;"> <div class="wrap"> <div class="widget wpbr-widget" id="story-bottom"> <div class="widget-wrap"> <div class="wpbrad wpbrad-zone" id="wpbrbannerajaxb86e8d03fe"> <div class="wpbrbanner" id="wpbrbanner472" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 5px; clear: both; height: 60px; margin: 0px auto; text-align: left; width: 460px;"> <div class="wpbrbannerinside"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Thailand surrogacy raid uncovers nine babies

Police have found nine babies in a Bangkok apartment, fuelling concerns about Thailand’s surrogacy industry, Sky News  reports. A Japan...

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