Police have found nine babies in a Bangkok apartment, fuelling concerns about Thailand’s surrogacy industry, Sky News reports.
A Japanese millionaire is reportedly the father of the youngsters, who are believed to have been born to Thai surrogate mothers.
Officers who raided the luxury home also
found nine nannies and a pregnant woman who claimed to be a surrogate
mother, according to reports in Thailand.
Seven-month-old Gammy, who also suffers
from a life-threatening heart condition, was left with his impoverished
Thai surrogate mother Pattharamon Janbua, 21.
There were no documents found with the nine children, who are thought to be between two weeks and two years old.
Thai authorities said they will carry out DNA tests to determine who their biological fathers and mothers are.
The nannies told police they were paid the equivalent of £180 a month to look after the children.
Surrogacy is illegal in Thailand – unless it is with a relative – and offering money to carry a baby is also prohibited.
But following worldwide publicity of
Gammy’s case, Thai authorities have vowed to increase punishments and
close loopholes which they say are being exploited by foreigners seeking
Thai surrogates.
Meanwhile, Australian child protection
officials have finally contacted the couple accused of abandoning Gammy
after visits to their home in Bunbury, south of Perth, went unanswered.
They would not comment on the nature of
the discussions with the pair, who cannot be named for legal reasons, or
the welfare of Gammy’s twin sister.
It came after it was reported the 56-year-old father is a convicted paedophile.
He was jailed in the 1990s of 22 child sex abuse charges involving girls as young as seven, ABC said.
