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The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia says it has revealed numerous cases of illegal adoption of children by foreigners in a “flagrant violation” of the Armenian law.

In a statement on Thursday, the NSS said two Armenian citizens, using their contacts in a maternity hospital, several governmental agencies and orphanages, arranged the adoption of over 30 Armenian children by Italian citizens in a gross violation of the law.

The law enforcement agency said from 2016 to 2018 some administrative staffers of the maternity hospital coerced more than 10 women who had applied for an abortion to give birth and to give up their babies for adoption. They even took bribes from the women for the “rendered medical services”.

After receiving written consents, most of the newborns were transferred to orphanages with accompanying medical records which contained fake diagnoses.

“Officials of those facilities, abusing their powers and using the made up diagnoses given by the maternity hospital in the medical records, violated the priority of Armenian citizens’ right to adopt those children by indirectly obstructing the children’s adoption by Armenian citizens,” the statement read.

A criminal case has been opened under relevant articles of Armenia’s Criminal Code. A preliminary probe is underway.