Indonesian police have dismantled a baby trafficking syndicate, arresting 13 suspects and rescuing six infants sold to buyers in Singapore. The network targeted vulnerable parents, facilitating illegal adoptions through deceitful practices while exploiting financial desperation.
Indonesian Police Expose International Baby Trafficking Network
Indonesian Police Expose International Baby Trafficking Network
Authorities uncover a ring selling infants, with notable involvement of parents, and evidence of systemic exploitation in Indonesia.
Indonesian authorities have recently broken up an alarming international baby trafficking syndicate that has reportedly sold at least 25 infants to buyers in Singapore since the beginning of the year. This significant operation led to 13 arrests in the cities of Pontianak and Tangerang, and six children were rescued who were on the verge of being trafficked.
According to police reports, the babies were initially kept in Pontianak, where their immigration paperwork was organized before being transported to Singapore. “Some babies were even reserved while still in the womb,” commented West Java Police's director of general criminal investigation, Surawan, while detailing the syndicate’s exploitative practices to BBC News Indonesia.
The criminal network allegedly preyed upon expectant mothers and families who felt unprepared to care for a child. Contacts were often initiated via social media platforms like Facebook, progressing to private messaging services such as WhatsApp. Upon giving birth, parents received monetary compensation, which oftentimes skewed the moral understanding of consent in vulnerable situations, as Surawan claimed, “Once born, the delivery costs were covered, then compensation money was given, and the baby was taken.”
The arrested members of this syndicate include recruiters, caretakers for the trafficked infants, and individuals involved in fabricating legal documents such as family cards and passports. After being removed from their biological parents, the infants were typically placed with caretakers for a period of two to three months before being sent to Jakarta for further documentation.
Infants were sold for prices ranging from 11 million to 16 million Indonesian rupiah (approximately $673 to $1,063). Investigators revealed that at least 12 male and 13 female babies were sold both domestically and internationally, mostly sourced from various regions within West Java.
In the wake of these developments, Indonesian police have vowed to locate the adopters in Singapore, collaborating with international law enforcement agencies such as Interpol. “We will cross-check the data with the babies who departed, to ascertain their adopters and trace their movements,” Surawan stated.
The syndicate members are not solely to blame, as police noted some parents willingly entered into agreements facilitated by traffickers, driven by economic hardship. If parental complicity is demonstrated, these individuals could also face charges of human trafficking and child protection crimes.
Ai Rahmayanti, a commissioner from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission, highlighted that the syndicates often exploit women in precarious situations, including cases of sexual violence or abandonment, making them vulnerable to trafficking. Furthermore, she noted that many traffickers disguise their illegal operations as maternity clinics or humanitarian support services.
Despite the lack of official statistics, data collected by KPAI indicates a troubling increase in cases involving the illegal adoption of children. The organization reported a rise from 11 such cases in 2020 to 59 in 2023, underscoring an alarming trend in child trafficking disguised as legal adoptions.
The ongoing investigation aims to thwart the continuation of this nefarious business, with police seeking further support to apprehend remaining operatives and buyers involved in the trafficking ring.
