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Indonesia busts cross-border baby trafficking ring

Indonesian police confirmed that the ring had gathered 25 infants, of whom 15 were sent to Singapore under the guise of adoption. Six babies were rescued in July, including five who were about to be sold to buyers in Singapore. Each child was sold for around 20,000 SGD (16,000 USD).

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian National Police (Polri) police are working Singapore Police Force (SPF) to probe a cross-border baby trafficking ring uncovered in West Java province with the involvement of three Singaporean citizens.

According to Untung Widyatmoko, Secretary of the Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Indonesia, the ring’s operations spanned from Bandung, Jakarta, Pontianak (West Kalimantan province) to Singapore.

He said they are tracing the network of this baby trafficking to overseas countries.

Indonesian police confirmed that the ring had gathered 25 infants, of whom 15 were sent to Singapore under the guise of adoption. Six babies were rescued in July, including five who were about to be sold to buyers in Singapore. Each child was sold for around 20,000 SGD (16,000 USD). This amount covered delivery costs, baby care expenses, and profits for those involved. The figure was verified through 12 notarised adoption files seized from a suspect’s home.

The figure was obtained from 12 notarised adoption documents seized from the home of one of the suspects.

So far, the number of suspects in the case has risen from 14 to 22. They have been charged under Indonesia’s anti-human trafficking law, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of 600 million IDR (36,000 USD). The Indonesian police said the SPF has agreed to assist in tracking down the three Singaporean suspects and in collecting witness testimonies.

In Singapore, legal experts have warned that many actions in the case could constitute serious criminal offenses. Lawyer Umar Abdullah, Managing Director of ADEL Law LLC, noted that payments made to “facilitate adoptions” without court approval, or through coercion, fraud, or falsified information, could violate the Adoption of Children Act enacted in 2022. First-time offenders may face up to three years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of 10,000 SGD./.

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