JAKARTA, July 16 — The Indonesian police have busted an international baby trafficking syndicate believed to have been operating since 2023, rescuing six infants and arresting 12 suspects in a major cross-province operation.
Five of the babies were found in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and taken to the West Java police headquarters, while another was rescued from the Greater Jakarta area.
West Java police spokesperson Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan said the suspects played various roles within the syndicate, including recruiting unborn babies, caring for them, and forging documents like birth certificates and passports.
“The group also arranged the transport of the babies, who were allegedly intended for illegal adoption in Singapore,” he said in a statement.
The police seized forged identity documents, passports and ownership papers during the arrests.
According to West Java’s General Criminal Investigations director Commissioner Surawan, one of the suspects had disclosed that five of the rescued babies had been scheduled to be sent to Singapore using fake paperwork.
He said the biological mothers were paid amounts ranging from 11 million rupiah (RM2,869.85) to 16 million rupiah (RM4,174.32).
The investigation, which began after a parent reported a suspected baby abduction, led police to uncover a wider trafficking network involving babies believed to have originated from various parts of West Java.
The police are now working with the Indonesian National Police’s International Relations Division to investigate possible cross-border trafficking links.
— Bernama
