Indonesian authorities have dismantled an international baby trafficking ring allegedly responsible for selling at least 25 infants to buyers in Singapore since 2023.
This week, police made 13 arrests in Pontianak and Tangerang, Indonesia, in connection to the syndicate. Six infants, all approximately one year old and poised for trafficking, were rescued.
“The infants were initially housed in Pontianak, where immigration documents were processed before their intended transport to Singapore,” stated Surawan, the Director of General Criminal Investigation for West Java Police, in an interview with BBC News Indonesia.
BBC News has reached out to the Singapore Police Force and Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs for comment, but has yet to receive a response.
According to police reports, the syndicate targeted vulnerable parents or expectant mothers, particularly those purportedly unwilling to raise their child. Contact was often initiated via Facebook before transitioning to more private platforms like WhatsApp.
“Some babies were even reserved while still in utero,” Surawan disclosed. “Upon birth, delivery expenses were covered, compensation was provided, and the baby was then taken.”
Authorities detailed that the group’s structure included recruiters who identified infants for trafficking, caretakers who housed them, and individuals responsible for producing fraudulent documents such as family cards and passports.
After separation from their mothers, the babies were entrusted to caretakers for two to three months before being transported to Jakarta and subsequently Pontianak, where falsified birth certificates, passports, and other documentation were prepared, police stated.
The infants were reportedly sold for sums ranging between 11 million Indonesian rupiah ($673; £502) and 16 million Indonesian rupiah each, authorities added.
Arrested individuals have indicated that the syndicate facilitated the sale of at least 12 male and 13 female infants both domestically and internationally, with the majority originating from various districts and cities within the Indonesian province of West Java.
On Thursday, Indonesian police affirmed that their “immediate task” involves locating the adoptive parents in Singapore.
“We will cross-reference data with the babies who departed to ascertain precise details regarding who departed, their escorts, departure dates, and the identities of the adopters,” Surawan informed reporters.
Police information suggests that many of the infants have had their nationalities changed. Authorities are actively searching for their passports, he noted.
Surawan previously told BBC Indonesia that the infants were obtained through agreements between the traffickers and the parents, and that none so far had been taken by kidnapping. Parents who reported their child as kidnapped did so because the broker had failed to pay them, he said.
Financial hardship is suspected as a motivating factor for some parents who may have consented to sell their children. These parents could also face criminal charges, Surawan cautioned.
“If it is proven that an agreement existed between the parents and the perpetrators, they could be charged with child protection crimes and human trafficking offenses,” he clarified.
Indonesian police have sought assistance from Interpol and Singaporean law enforcement in apprehending syndicate members remaining abroad, as well as the buyers of the infants.
“We will designate the perpetrators as wanted persons,” Surawan stated. “Additionally, we will issue a red notice, requesting law enforcement agencies in relevant countries to arrest them.”
Ai Rahmayanti, Commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), notes that child trafficking syndicates typically prey on women in dire circumstances.
“For example, pregnancies resulting from sexual violence, abandonment by a husband, or unwanted pregnancies from casual relationships,” she told BBC News Indonesia.
Abortion remains illegal in Indonesia, except in limited circumstances such as medical emergencies or pregnancies resulting from rape.
Ai Rahmayanti explained that baby or child trafficking syndicates frequently masquerade as maternity clinics, orphanages, or social shelters that appear to provide care for vulnerable women and children.
“These clinics or shelters initially employ compassionate language, such as ‘you can give birth and take your baby home.’ However, their true intention is to offer money and illegally transfer custody of the baby,” she elaborated.
While official data on the precise number of babies being sold in Indonesia is unavailable, KPAI’s data on human trafficking crimes indicates that the trend is persistent and on the rise.
In 2020, KPAI recorded 11 cases of children as victims of illegal adoption. By 2023, this number had increased to 59 cases related to child abduction and trafficking disguised as illegal adoption.
One of the most recent cases advocated by KPAI occurred in 2024, involving the discovery of babies being sold in locations such as Depok, West Java, and Bali.
She noted that the babies were sold at varying prices.
“In Java, [the price] ranges between Rp11 million and Rp15 million, while in Bali it can reach Rp20 million to Rp26 million,” she stated. “The price is also influenced by several factors, including the baby’s physical appearance.”
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