A SHENZHEN company that was exposed by a CCTV (China Central Television) news program for illegally bringing pregnant women’s blood samples to Hong Kong for fetal gender diagnosis was raided by local police Dec. 22, and 75 suspects were detained, it was reported Thursday.

    The company had been working as an intermediate agency to help pregnant women in Zhejiang Province send their blood samples to Hong Kong for fetal gender diagnosis, which is banned on the Chinese mainland.

    Eleven key members of the company were detained Dec. 22 when the company’s office in Luohu District was raided. A total of 75 suspects have been detained, while other suspects are being pursued by police.

    The city has set up a special group to crack down on illegal transportation of pregnant women’s blood samples from Shenzhen to Hong Kong for fetal gender diagnosis and illegal abortions based on fetal gender without medical necessity.

    Eleven illegal abortions and two cases involving unqualified ultrasound medical practitioners were found between November 2015 and October last year, while 13 institutions were fined a total of 201,500 yuan (US$29,203). Additionally, 14 vehicles transporting pregnant women’s blood samples to Hong Kong were intercepted at checkpoints.

    A suspect in Longhua New Area helped transport blood samples of 272 pregnant women for fetal gender diagnosis between April 8, 2014 and April 7, 2016. He was fined 30,000 yuan and his 1 million yuan of illegal income was confiscated. (Zhang Yang)