Translated with AI
Indonesian police have uncovered an international child trafficking syndicate that is believed to have sold at least 25 babies to buyers in Singapore since 2023, the BBC reports.
Indonesian authorities made 13 arrests this week in the cities of Pontianak and Tangerang in connection with a crime syndicate that was plotting to sell six one-year-old babies.
"These children were held in Pontianak where they were given immigration papers before being sent to Singapore," West Java Police Criminal Investigation Department director Suravan told the BBC.
BBC News approached the Singapore Police Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs for comment but did not receive a response.
Police believe the syndicate's modus operandi was to target parents or mothers-to-be who allegedly did not want to raise their children. In some cases, they were contacted first via Facebook and then moved to more private channels such as WhatsApp.
"Some babies were even 'reserved' in the womb," Suravan said. "After the baby was born, the mothers were compensated for the cost of the birth, then they were paid a certain amount and the newborn was taken away."
Police said the gang included recruiters who found babies to sell, caregivers and people they lived with, and document forgers.
After the babies were taken from their mothers, they were given to guardians for two to three months, then sent to Jakarta and then on to Pontianak, where they were given birth certificates, passports and other documents, police said.
The babies were sold for between 11 and 16 million Indonesian rupiah (US$670 to US$980).
According to some of those arrested, the syndicate trafficked at least 12 boys and 13 girls, both within Indonesia and abroad. Most of the children were believed to be from West Java.
Indonesian police said on Thursday their "first priority" was to find adoptive parents in Singapore.
"We will double-check the data on the babies who were taken away to know exactly who left, who accompanied them, when they left Indonesia and who their adoptive parents are," Suravan told reporters.
He added that much of the information gathered by police indicated that the babies' citizenship had been changed, noting that authorities were still searching for their passports.
Suravan had previously told BBC Indonesia that the babies were handed over by mutual agreement between the traffickers and the parents, and that information at the time indicated none had been kidnapped. The parents who reported their children kidnapped did so because the middleman had failed to pay them, he said.
There are suspicions that at least some parents may have agreed to sell their children due to financial difficulties. They may also face criminal charges.
"If it is proven that there was an agreement between the parents and the perpetrators, they could be charged with crimes against children and human trafficking," Suravan said.
Indonesian police have asked Interpol and Singapore police to help arrest members of the syndicate who are still overseas, as well as the child buyers.
"We will include these criminals in the wanted list," Suravan explained. "In addition, we will issue a red notice or contact law enforcement agencies in these countries to request their arrest."
According to Ai Rahmayanti of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KZID), the victims of child trafficking syndicates are usually women in desperate situations.
"For example, they become pregnant as a result of sexual violence, or it is an unwanted pregnancy from casual relationships, or the woman is abandoned by her husband," she told BBC Indonesia.
Abortion is illegal in Indonesia except in certain circumstances, such as medical emergencies and pregnancies resulting from rape.
According to Ai Rahmayanti, child trafficking syndicates often disguise themselves as maternity hospitals, orphanages or social shelters that appear to care for vulnerable women and children.
“These clinics or shelters initially use sympathetic language, such as ‘you can give birth and take the baby home.’ But in reality, they offer money and illegally transfer custody of the child,” she explains.
While there are no official figures on the number of babies sold in Indonesia, the KZID's own data on human trafficking crimes suggests that such cases are on the rise.
In 2020, the KZID registered 11 cases of illegal adoption of children, and in 2023, there were already 59 cases of kidnapping and trafficking of children under the guise of adoption.
One of the latest cases reported by the KZID occurred in 2024, when babies were found being sold in places including Depok, West Java and Bali.
According to the KZID commissioner, the babies were sold at different prices.
“In Java, [the price] is between 11 million and 15 million rupiah (US$670-920), and in Bali, it’s between 20 million and 26 million rupiah (US$1,230-1,600),” she explained. “The price also depends on several factors, one of which is the child’s appearance.”
