Marilza Medeiros da Conceicao, a Brazilian mother has been arrested by police after she allegedly sold eight of her ten children in order to get money to buy drugs.
Marilza who is from Sao Pedro da Aldeia, Rio de Janeiro, was taken into custody on Tuesday for “promising or carrying out the delivery of a child to a third party, upon payment or reward.”
According to the report, Marilza allegedly gave her one and a half old daughter last April to a family in the Saquarema, Região dos Lagos region for the equivalent of just £27.60.
After her arrest, police opened an investigation after she undertook the swap for drugs, which authorities described as “narcotics.”
Currently, authorities are only aware of the whereabouts of one of her children, who is living with their father.
Police chief Milton Siqueira Junior said: “The inquiry dates from April of last year. She sold her one-and-a-half-month-old daughter.
“The child was found at the time in Saquarema, Regiao dos Lagos (Lakes Region), and handed over to the Child Services to be taken care of.
“Now, she has 10 more children, but only one was with her, the other is with its father, and we are investigating if she also sold the others.”
42-year-old Elizangela da Silva Pacheco, who allegedly bought the child, is also facing punishment over the trade.
According to the judge, she will now have to carry out community service for six months.
She will also be made to pay three months’ minimum wages to a local charity that helps to educate children.
