Thirteen Filipina surrogate mothers in Cambodia have been sentenced to four years in prison for cross-border human trafficking.
The women were arrested in September, along with seven other Filipinas and four Vietnamese nationals, as part of a surrogacy crackdown.
During the trial, the court found compelling evidence that the pregnant women intended to sell the babies for large sums, constituting human trafficking.
Clients were reportedly willing to pay between $40,000 and $100,000 (approximately ₱5.8 million) for each surrogate birth.
Seven non-pregnant Filipinas and four Vietnamese nationals have since been deported from Cambodia.
Last year, 12 Cambodian women were arrested for being surrogates for Chinese clients but were later released on bail after pledging to raise the babies themselves.
Authorities attribute the rising demand for commercial surrogacy to China’s former one-child policy, banned in 2016.
Thailand has faced similar issues, with commercial surrogacy catering to clients from countries like Australia and the United States.
Cambodian officials have not disclosed plans for the babies once the Filipina surrogate mothers give birth.