Balkan child trafficking ring busted

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NANCY, France, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- French police say they cracked a child trafficking ring that took children from Kosovo and Macedonia to sell in Belgium and Germany.

Seven members of a family from the Balkans were arrested Tuesday in Nancy, France, after a monthlong police investigation, the French news agency The Local reported Friday.

The ring is believed to have obtained children for 1,000-1,500 euros ($1,290-$1,935), and sold them for 10,000 euros ($12,900), the news agency said.

Police detained two girls, each age 12, for questioning. One officer said police don't believe sexual abuse or slavery was a motivating factor in the ring.

"The objective of the people in charge of this inquiry is to determine what these two children have suffered and how many victims there are. Clearly this is not a torturous or barbaric trafficking ring," the officer said.