Eight of 17 people, detained under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007 to facilitate investigations into a baby-for-sale racket, were released on police bail today.

This followed the expiry of the remand order for the eight, including a 65-year-old businessman ‘datuk’ and his 43-year-old wife. The eight comprised family members, relatives and friends.

Last Wednesday, the police picked up the couple and four others at their house in Jalan Stampin Tengah.

The other two, believed to be the datin's female friends - a local and Indonesian - were nabbed at Green Height and Batu Kawa, respectively, the following day.

This brings to 11, the number of people released on police bail, so far.

Yesterday, a married couple and the datuk's personal driver were released on police bail.

The remand order for a local man, in his 40s, will expire tomorrow.

Meanwhile, magistrate Nelson W. Angang extended the remand order for a 46-year-old male cousin of the datin until next Monday.

In a separate room at the magistrate’s court complex, Registrar Abdul Razak Isnawi extended the remand of two Indonesian sisters, aged 22 and 19, by a week.

The siblings were nabbed at a house in Batu Kawa last Friday, where a four-year-old boy and a there-year-old girl - meant for sale to willing buyers - were found by the police.   

Yesterday, a 53-year-old man, believed to be a supplier of babies, was remanded till next Monday, while a 32-year-old Indonesian woman's remand was extended till next Thursday.

The police got their ‘break’ into the baby-for-sale racket on July 12 when an Indonesian woman allegedly tried to sell a baby to an undercover police officer for RM10,000.

Following the 32-year-old woman's arrest, the police found eight children aged between one month and 12 years in different locations in the city.

Currently, the children are in the custody of the state welfare department.

- Bernama