Two women held over alleged baby sale

The police detained two women on Sunday, in connection with the abduction and sale of a seven-month-old baby girl last Thursday.

The suspects, in their 30s, were picked up at a bus station here about 3.30pm.

The baby was earlier taken from her grandmother's home in Air Itam near here by the duo.

A police spokesman said the women were nabbed upon arrival on an express bus from Kuala Lumpur and taken to the North-East district police headquarters.

He said the police managed to track them via a mobile phone used by one of the suspects.

"It is understood the woman was still using the same number because she wanted to contact the buyer of the baby, who still owed them money," he said.

Initial investigations revealed that one of the suspects had earlier fled to her husband's home in Negeri Sembilan.

However, she returned here to collect the balance of the money from the sale of the baby.

Newspapers on Saturday reported that the baby was abducted by two women about 3pm when they visited the grandmother's house in Air Itam, on the pretext of taking the baby to play.

Penang Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Mazlan Kesah said the grandmother allowed them to take the baby because she knew one of the women, aged 43.

However, she began to suspect something amiss when the two women failed to return after 30 minutes.

He said the quick action and information obtained by the police in arresting a 60-year-old man in Balik Pulau on Friday afternoon led to the baby's rescue.

The man is alleged to have bought the baby from the women.