The ring was based in Cairo. (Creative Commons)

Two nurses and one doctor are among the five suspects in the case. A hospital manager who escaped arrest is being searched for by police, according to the AFP.

Adoption is illegal in Egypt due to Islamic law. Many of the babies trafficked were sold to couples who could not conceive.

About 300 babies are believed to have been sold over three years.

Reach Executive Producer Hannah Madans here.