Police in Indonesia have arrested 12 individuals after uncovering a human trafficking operation that sent over a dozen babies to Singapore for adoption.
Following a report of an alleged baby kidnapping, Indonesian authorities stumbled upon a trafficking case involving the sale of 24 infants.
According to Surawan, the head of general criminal investigations, most of the babies were taken from their parents in West Java province.
The traffickers then transferred the infants to Pontianak on Borneo and subsequently to Singapore.
“Fourteen babies were sent to Singapore based on the documents we’ve found,” said Surawan.
“Their ages are all under one year, with some as young as three months old.”
Rescue operations saved five babies in Pontianak and an additional one in Tangerang, near Jakarta. Twelve suspects were apprehended throughout Jakarta, Pontianak, and Bandung.
“This group operates as a syndicate, with each member having a specific role,” mentioned Surawan.
While some members were in charge of finding babies, others took care of them, provided shelter, and created civil registration documents such as family cards and passports.
The infants were reportedly sold to buyers seeking to adopt them in Singapore for between 11 million Indonesian Rupiah ($676) and 16 million Indonesian Rupiah ($983).
According to statements from the suspects, the syndicate has been operating since 2023.
Police identified individuals who were willing to give up their children in exchange for money, and one of these parents later filed a kidnapping report after not receiving the promised payment.
Surawan stated that Indonesian police plan to collaborate with Interpol to track down potential trafficking victims in Singapore.
Human trafficking is a significant problem in Indonesia, the country’s largest economy with more than 17,000 islands.
One of the most grievous cases in recent years involved finding at least 57 individuals held captive on a palm oil plantation in North Sumatra in 2022.
According to Surawan, the head of general criminal investigations, most of the babies were taken from their parents in West Java province.
The traffickers then transferred the infants to Pontianak on Borneo and subsequently to Singapore.
“Fourteen babies were sent to Singapore based on the documents we’ve found,” said Surawan.
“Their ages are all under one year, with some as young as three months old.”
Rescue operations saved five babies in Pontianak and an additional one in Tangerang, near Jakarta. Twelve suspects were apprehended throughout Jakarta, Pontianak, and Bandung.
“This group operates as a syndicate, with each member having a specific role,” mentioned Surawan.
While some members were in charge of finding babies, others took care of them, provided shelter, and created civil registration documents such as family cards and passports.
The infants were reportedly sold to buyers seeking to adopt them in Singapore for between 11 million Indonesian Rupiah ($676) and 16 million Indonesian Rupiah ($983).
According to statements from the suspects, the syndicate has been operating since 2023.
Police identified individuals who were willing to give up their children in exchange for money, and one of these parents later filed a kidnapping report after not receiving the promised payment.
Surawan stated that Indonesian police plan to collaborate with Interpol to track down potential trafficking victims in Singapore.
Human trafficking is a significant problem in Indonesia, the country’s largest economy with more than 17,000 islands.
One of the most grievous cases in recent years involved finding at least 57 individuals held captive on a palm oil plantation in North Sumatra in 2022.
