By Saroj Pathirana BBC Sinhala service

	Pregnant teenagers as well as children under the age of five were found in the centre

The centre in Rawatawatta, Moratuwa was raided by the police on Thursday but no arrests have been made.

The Catholic nun of Indian origin was arrested and produced before the courts on Friday, police spokesman Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajith Rohana told BBC Sinhala service.

“I understand the suspect was born in India and she is a Sister. But she has spent much of her life in Sri Lanka,” he said.

Pregnant teenagers as well as children between the age of one and five years were also found in the centre, he said.

'Baby farm'

The suspect, named in the media as Sister Mary Elisa, is also ordered not to leave the country.

We are investigating whether this incident is linked to human smuggling, influencing children in sexual activities and exploiting children for a particular purpose   Police spokesman, SP Ajith Rohana

“If a girl under the age of 16 gets pregnant, it is considered that she was raped under the amended penal code,” SP Ajith Rohana told BBC Sandeshaya.

The suspect nun is accused of providing shelter to those who were subjected to rape or not informing the authorities of such incidents in her centre.

The police and the national child protection authority (NCPA) are conducting investigations over whether the place has been used as a centre to create babies for human smuggling.

Quoting NCPA chairman Anoma Dissanayake, media reports said the centre has been used to sell babies to foreigners.

"We are investigating whether this incident is linked to human smuggling, influencing children in sexual activities and exploiting children for a particular purpose," the spokesman added.

Two further women found in the centre were ordered to send to a probation centre.

Few decades ago, a serious controversy erupted as some powerful politicians were accused of running a 'baby farm' in Panadura, near Colombo.