The report said that the group was detained in August 2009 during attempt to sell four month newborn baby boy for US$3,000.

According to the website, some of the members of the group worked at maternity wards and “worked with” women, who want reject from children.

The head of the group was 63-year old women Ikbarhon Hakimova, who worked as lawyer in several maternity wards. She worked with women, who wanted to reject children, and carried out work on registration of children at Mercy Houses. She also received requests from families, who cannot have children.

The lawyer attracted her daughter-in-law, nurses and technical workers of maternity wards and other medical establishments to the “illegal business”.

The court hearing confirmed 70 cases of unlawful child fostering, including four cases in which the babies were taken out of the country, the website reported.

The report said that six members of the group were sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison, while other defendants received suspended sentences.