Seized babies 'sold overseas'

A CHINESE province is investigating a report that officials seized at least 16 babies born in violation of strict family planning rules, sent them to welfare centres and then sold them abroad for adoption.

The children, from near Hunan province's Shaoyang city, had been taken since 2005 after their parents were accused of breaching the one-child policy or illegally adopting children, Caixin Century magazine reported.

At least one migrant worker said she had found her daughter had been adopted abroad and was now living in the United States, it said.