The Mumbai Police on Thursday claimed to have busted an interstate human trafficking racket by arresting three persons who were allegedly trying to sell off a new-born girl into flesh trade. Unit-9 of the city Crime Branch arrested Mohammed Fazal Pathan, Sharifa Pathan and Afrin Salamat Khan from Kureshi Nagar in suburban Bandra, an official said.

The police also rescued the 20-day-old girl whom the accused wanted to sell, he added. The accused allegedly confessed that they had purchased the baby from her mother for Rs 10,000. The girl's mother was a resident of Bihar who had landed in the city after her husband broke the ties with her, the officer said. After purchasing the baby girl, the gang was allegedly trying to sell her off to agents in the flesh trade who raise girls to be exploited for prostitution, the police officer said.