XI'AN - A gynecologist in northwest China's Shaanxi Province has been detained by police on suspicion of trafficking a newborn baby, local police said on Friday.

The gynecologist, surnamed Zhang, from Fuping County Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, is alleged to have sold the newborn for 21,600 yuan (3,494 US dollars) on July 17 to two men from the neighboring Shanxi Province, according to the county's public security bureau.

Police found Zhang had lied to the baby's mother after her delivery on July 16 that her child had a congenital infectious disease and disability and tricked her into letting him handle the baby.

The mother doubted the baby had been abducted and reported to the police on July 20.

The two men from Shanxi, surnamed Pan and Cui, have also been detained. They later sold the baby at the price of 30,000 yuan to someone else.

Police are still searching for these buyers and the baby.