Indonesia Busts Baby Trafficking Syndicate Selling Infants to Singapore
In a major breakthrough, Indonesian police have dismantled an international child trafficking network that has sold at least 25 newborns to Singapore since 2023. Acting on intelligence, authorities arrested 13 individuals in Pontianak and Tangerang this week and rescued six infants—each less than a year old—who were on the verge of being smuggled abroad.
West Java Police official Surawan told NS Indonesia that the infants were initially housed in Pontianak before immigration documents were forged to facilitate their illegal entry into Singapore. Requests for comment from Singapore’s police and Ministry of Home Affairs remain unanswered.
How the Syndicate Operated
The traffickers primarily targeted vulnerable parents, especially pregnant women who were unable or unwilling to raise their children. Initial contact was often made through Facebook, later shifting to encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp for clandestine negotiations.
“In several cases, agreements were made while the baby was still in the womb,” Surawan revealed. “The syndicate would cover delivery expenses and later pay the parents a sum in exchange for the newborn.”
The gang operated with clearly defined roles. Some members scouted for potential babies, others managed temporary shelters and caretakers, while another group specialized in forging identity documents—such as family cards and passports. Once separated from their biological mothers, babies were kept with caretakers for two to three months before being transported to Jakarta and eventually to Pontianak for document processing.
According to police, the infants were sold for 11 to 16 million Indonesian rupiah (approximately $673 to $1,000 USD). Those arrested confessed to selling at least 12 boys and 13 girls, both within Indonesia and abroad. Most of the children were sourced from various districts in West Java.
International Dimensions and Singapore Focus
The Indonesian authorities are now focusing on tracing the adoptive families in Singapore. “We will cross-check immigration records to determine when each child left the country, who accompanied them, and who adopted them,” said Surawan.
Preliminary information indicates that some of these children have already been granted new citizenships, although their current passport details are still being investigated.
Parents’ Role and Legal Implications
Surawan emphasized that none of the cases so far suggest outright abduction. Instead, these transactions occurred with the consent—albeit coerced or financially motivated—of the biological parents. Some complaints of kidnapping were lodged only after brokers failed to pay the promised amount.
Authorities suspect many parents agreed to these arrangements due to dire economic conditions. “If it is proven that an agreement existed between the parents and traffickers, they too could face charges under child protection and human trafficking laws,” he said.
Interpol and Singaporean authorities have been asked to cooperate in arresting syndicate members and buyers operating outside Indonesia. “We will declare these criminals as wanted and request red notices or international arrests,” Surawan confirmed.
Exploiting Vulnerability Under the Guise of Care
Ai Rahmayanti, commissioner of Indonesia’s Child Protection Commission (KPAI), highlighted that trafficking networks often prey on desperate women—those abandoned by partners, pregnant due to sexual violence, or struggling with unplanned pregnancies.
“Such women are lured by fake promises of shelter and support,” Rahmayanti told the BBC. “Traffickers disguise themselves as maternity clinics, orphanages, or aid centers. They claim to offer safe delivery and child care, only to hand over the babies illegally in exchange for money.”
Indonesia prohibits abortion except in limited cases like medical emergencies or rape, which further pushes vulnerable women toward these illegal networks.
Worsening Trend of Baby Sales
Although no official national data exists on child trafficking in Indonesia, KPAI records show a sharp rise in illegal adoptions disguised as rescue efforts. In 2020, the commission recorded 11 such cases. By 2023, this number had jumped to 59, encompassing kidnapping and trafficking under the guise of adoption.
One high-profile 2024 case involved the attempted sale of children in Depok, West Java, and Bali. Prices ranged from 11 to 15 million rupiah in Java, and as high as 20 to 26 million in Bali, largely based on the child’s physical appearance and perceived “desirability.”
“This is not just a criminal operation,” Rahmayanti warned. “It is a systemic exploitation of poverty, motherhood, and social neglect.”
