Police in Maharashtra's Thane arrested five people involved in a human trafficking racket trying to sell a 7-day-old baby for ₹6 lakh. The Anti-Human Trafficking Cell laid a trap near a hotel in Badlapur West on the night of December 24, using a decoy buyer to confirm the deal. The gang received ₹20,000 via UPI as token money, with the remaining ₹5.8 lakh to be paid in cash. The arrested individuals are Shankar Sambhaji Manohar (36), who accepted the cash; Reshma Shahabuddin Shaikh (35), who had the baby; Igatpuri-based agents Nitin Sambhaji Manohar (33) and Shekar Ganesh Jadhav (35); and Mankhurd-based agent Asif Chand Khan (27). Another accomplice, Sabina, is still at large. A senior official from Badlapur (West) police station said, "The gang had connived to sell the newborn for Rs 6 lakh. We suspect this is part of a much larger scam involving the kidnapping and sale of infants to childless couples. We are trying to identify the biological mother." The infant has been shifted to a specialised care home for safety. Police are also investigating if a wider network of hospitals or nursing homes is involved in supplying newborns to traffickers. The operation highlights ongoing efforts to curb child trafficking in the region.