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Authorities in Indonesia have uncovered a transnational baby trafficking ring, arresting 12 suspects accused of selling at least 24 infants to buyers in Singapore under the guise of adoption.
Getting into it: The discovery, made by West Java police, began with a report of a suspected baby kidnapping filed by a parent in Bandung. Investigators soon found that the reporting parent had initially entered into a financial agreement with the traffickers but alerted authorities after failing to receive the promised payment. This tip led police to a suspect who admitted to being part of a broader syndicate that had trafficked at least 24 infants since 2023. Authorities then launched coordinated raids across Jakarta, Bandung, and Pontianak, ultimately arresting 12 individuals believed to have played various roles in the operation.
Babies were sold for between 11 million and 16 million Indonesian Rupiah (approximately US $676–$983), with Singapore identified as the primary destination. While the suspects claimed the infants were intended for adoption by Singaporean citizens, Indonesian authorities allege the transactions were purely commercial in nature, with no oversight or legal procedures in place. The full extent of who was purchasing the babies and how they were used remains under investigation, though police believe the sales were not conducted through legal or humanitarian channels.
More details on their operation: The group functioned as a structured business, with various roles filled by different people. Some suspects were responsible for recruiting vulnerable mothers, particularly those unable or unwilling to raise their children, while others managed baby shelters, forged civil documents, or acted as couriers to transport the infants. Infants were taken primarily from West Java and moved through multiple locations (including Pontianak on Borneo island and Tangerang near Jakarta) before being readied for travel abroad. The traffickers created fake birth certificates, family cards, and passports to facilitate international transit, often disguising the operation as legitimate adoption.
During the arrests, police seized numerous pieces of critical evidence, including forged identity documents, passport application materials, and administrative paperwork linking the babies to fabricated families. Several infants were found at a shelter in East Bandung, and five others were rescued in Pontianak, just before being trafficked overseas.
