LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The children were rescued when a huge smuggling gang was smashed by Heyuan Police. The people responsible are believed to be culpable for hundreds of baby abductions across China. The criminal gang usually snatches babies "on spec" and sell them on to other gangs.

All 13 children, all about one month old were being kept in an underground nursery discovered by the police. Thirty-three members of the trafficking gang have since been arrested.

Many of the stolen babies are sold to infertile couples, while still others are sold to be raised in virtual slavery or the sex industry.

More then 500 officers spent three months tracking down key members of the group before moving in. They are currently trying to find the babies' parents and have appealed for help from the public.

"For the first time we are letting people see the real victims of these appalling crimes - tiny, babies, doomed to a life of goodness knows what," a police spokesman said.

"The children are being well cared for but it is our intention to get each one back to their own family," they added.

Heyuan Police launched a crackdown in 2009 following rumors of ten child abductions in 10 days.

Police disputed the figure, according to China Daily, that it was investigating three cases of child abduction and trafficking since the beginning of the year.

"Local police will gear up efforts to fight child abductors and traffickers as well as rumormongers," Miao Yuandong, a Heyuan municipal public security bureau official said.

The area has long been plagued by child abduction and human trafficking. It was discovered that another 14 babies there last October were sold by their own parents. Three of those children's' parents were arrested and all 13 of the infants now reside in orphanages in Huizhou. At least one was adopted.

© 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.