Saudi Gazette report AL-LAITH —Police have arrested several people in connection with the sale of a newborn baby in Al-Laith three years ago. They included a Bangladeshi father who sold the child, named as Nu'aman, for SR3,000 and another Bangladeshi businessman who bought the baby. It was revealed in police investigations that the Bangladeshi, an illegal resident, sold his child to fund his gambling and drinking habits and that the businessman's wife acted as the con man's wife to deceive hospital authorities and claim the baby as their own, according to a report in Al-Riyadh newspaper. An Al-Laith police spokesman said investigators arrested those involved in the crime following a long investigation. The officials received a tipoff about the sale after it happened three years ago. The Bangladeshi man managed to sell the child immediately after his Indonesian wife, also an illegal resident, gave birth at Al-Laith General Hospital. As part of a premeditated plan, the father was able to mislead hospital authorities by convincing them that the child's mother was the Bangladeshi woman, a legal resident in Al-Laith. He is believed to have worked with employees at the hospital.
The child's real mother left the maternity ward unnoticed sometime after delivery and the businessman's wife took her place. Later, the businessman managed to obtain necessary documents from the hospital to claim the baby as his own. After receiving a tipoff about the mysterious appearance of a baby boy in the Bengali businessman's family, detectives started investigations.
It was revealed that the child had all the physical features of an Indonesian. When the police interrogated the businessman and his wife, it was revealed the couple was diagnosed with infertility. During questioning, they confessed to buying the baby from the real father. Later, the Bangladeshi and his Indonesian wife were taken into custody.
During interrogations, the Indonesian woman could not control her tears and admitted selling the baby nearly three years ago immediately after giving birth at Al-Laith hospital. Police arrested the two couples and six others including their relatives who were involved in the deal. According to police sources, investigations revealed that there are several illegal Bangladeshi nationals living in Al-Laith engaged in various criminal activities such as gambling and liquor dealing. The Bangladeshi who bought Nu'aman is a businessman in the area. He runs a leading supermarket, several shops in the vegetable market, cafes and women's tailoring shops. He is also engaged in the wholesale business of food and illegal money transfers, where his customers are mainly overstayers and illegal residents. The real father and his Indonesian wife, who works as a housemaid with a Saudi family, are living together with their son Abdul Rahman at an apartment in Al-Laith. Speaking to the newspaper, owner of the apartment building said the man used to quarrel with his wife every now and then. Khaleel Othman, a Sudanese living in the same building, said the Bangladeshi is infamous for his immoral activities, and always used to beat up his wife.
