One of the leaders of a gang accused of selling 118 babies between 2002 and 2003 was detained recently, the Beijing Times reported yesterday.

Ji Xiulan, of Yongcheng in Henan Province, was captured by police on June 8 at her wheat farm after several years on the run.

It marked another step forward for police in tracking down the gang. Files on the captured woman were handed to Guangxi police late last week.