Preliminary legal proceedings for the trafficking of a pregnant woman abroad and the sale of her baby have been initiated against a couple in northern Bulgaria.

The pregnant woman is from the village of Gradishte, near the town of Levski, and has been taken to Greece by her husband, who is also investigated for his involvement.

The authorities have been alerted about the crime in May when the Gradishte policeman noticed the woman was no longer pregnant, but did not have a baby either.

The investigation has been a joined operation of the Regional Police and Prosecutor's Office and the State Agency for National Security.

The people, who negotiated the deal, are a couple from the village of Assenevtsi. With the help of the pregnant woman's husband, they took her to Southern Greece. She gave birth in a Greek hospital and several days later gave up her baby to a Greek couple for the sum of EUR 2 500 with an additional EUR 1 500 to be paid in the fall when the woman was supposed to return to sign the adoption papers.

The raid of the home in Assenevtsi discovered objects, which, according to the authorities, were proof the above case was not an isolated incident. The couple is behind bars for 72 hours. The Prosecutor will request their permanent detention Monday.