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ONE News  Arrests over Samoa adoption scam  Published: 6:43PM
Tuesday March 06, 2007 Source: One News  The owners of an
American adoption agency have been charged with running a baby-
smuggling operation out of Samoa.  An investigation by ONE News
Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver first highlighted the
alleged scam which US officials have called "shocking and
appalling".  Seven people involved with the Utah-based agency
are accused of deceiving parents in Samoa into signing away
their children.  US investigators allege that as well as being
mistreated in a nanny or halfway house, Samoan birth parents
were deceived into thinking they would get their children back
when they were older.  US officials allege the agency targeted
Samoan children for adoption by observing the market or other
places where women gathered.  Local agent Dan Wakefield is one
of those charged. He told ONE News