- The Washington Times - Sunday, October 20, 2013

A Shanghai couple are facing charges after allegedly selling three of their newborns to pay for iPhones and designer shoes, China’s Ministry of Public Security said.

Identified only as Teng and Zhang, the couple face multiple charges of trafficking of women and children, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Friday. The husband is in custody, and his wife posted bail, the ministry said.

Police were able to track the couple after they placed an ad for their baby girl on QQ, a popular Chinese instant messaging system, CNN reported.

The couple sold three of their newborn babies in recent years for a total of $13,000, and police discovered they spent all of it on iPhones and luxury shoes, Xinhua said.

Authorities recovered the girl and are now looking for the other two children, CNN reported.

China has had a problem with child trafficking in the past.

In 2011, the Ministry of Public Security announced an investigation that busted two baby-trafficking rings and rescued 29 newborns in Shandong, CNN reported.

• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.

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