Harrowing truth behind 'staggering' online baby swap scandal documentary that airs this week

The heartbreaking story behind twins that were sold for cash to families in two different continents, will be revealed in a tell-all documentary airing this week.

The true story of these twins almost sounds like a sensationalised script from a blockbuster film.

But the truth behind the tragedy is far from from it, involving a couple from the UK and one from America, who each adopted the twins for large sums of cash.

Judith Kilshaw previously made an appearance on ITV's This Morning. (ITV)

The so-called ‘cash for babies’ scandal will now air as a Channel 5 documentary, which is being released tonight (July 2).

The Baby Scandal That Rocked The World revisits the story from the perspective of the women involved - the birth mother and the two adoptive mothers.

Their stories were previously shared in an Amazon Prime Video documentary.

In the late 1990s, single mother Tranda put her newborn twins, Belinda and Kimberley, up for adoption via an online agency.

During this time, the internet was unregulated, and Tranda was able to get cash for girls instead of giving them away.

The twins were sent to Vickie and Richard who were based in California, who allegedly paid £4,000 for both of them.

Following the transaction, Tranda was not happy with the way the visiting arrangements had been laid out for her, so she took the girls back into her custody.

The twins have finally spoken out about the scandal. (Channel 5)

Welsh couple Judith and Alan Kilshaw then bought the girls for £8,200, and brought them to Wales to live in their family home in Flintshire.

However, this move upset Vickie and Richard, leading to years of messy disputes over the babies.

Judith and Alan became infamous when The Sun broke a story about their purchase of the six-month-old twins.

It even captured the eyes of Prime Minister Tony Blair, who stepped in and vowed to halt the trade of children for adoption.

Home Secretary at the time, Jack Straw, also voiced his disapproval.

The case then escalated to the High Court, which ordered that the twins should stay in emergency foster care and that the Kilshaws were to refrain from discussion in public about the case.

A judge in Missouri granted the biological father of the twins, Aron Wecker, custody of the twins.

But this ruling had no impact, as the twins were still under the care of Flintshire social services.

Whilst the disputes played out, Tranda made efforts to reclaim her babies - and the UK high court eventually came to the decision that the twins should be sent back to America.