Singapore (VNA) – The governments of Singapore and Indonesia are coordinating an investigation into allegations of a transnational baby trafficking ring that smuggled newborns into Singapore for adoption.
In a joint statement issued on January 9 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Social and Family Development of Singapore (MSF) said the authorities are also contacting affected adoptive families to explain the situation and provide clarification on the ongoing probe.
Information about the alleged trafficking network emerged in mid-2025 after Indonesian authorities arrested around 10 suspects in West Java province, the Straits Times reported.
The statement said the Singapore police and MSF have requested the police and the Ministry of Social Affairs of Indonesia to share investigation findings and to help verify the circumstances of children who had been brought into Singapore for adoption. The Singaporean police have also been assisting their Indonesian counterparts following a request from the Indonesian police in September 2025.
Earlier, Indonesian authorities asked the Singapore police to verify information relating to three Singaporean citizens suspected of involvement in the trafficking ring. As investigations are ongoing, the processing of citizenship applications for the affected children has been delayed. The MSF and Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) are working directly with the adoptive families concerned during this period.
In July last year, police in Indonesia’s West Java province arrested 13 suspects allegedly involved in trafficking dozens of newborns to Singapore through an illegal adoption network. Indonesian authorities said the ring had been operating since 2023 and was believed to have trafficked at least 25 infants, mainly to Singapore, while some were sent to other cities across Indonesia.
The case came to light after a parent reported the abduction of a newborn, leading to the arrest of a suspect who later admitted to trafficking 24 children./.
