Indonesian police have apprehended 13 members of a baby trafficking syndicate that has reportedly sold at least 25 infants to buyers in Singapore this year. Authorities made the arrests in the cities of Pontianak and Tangerang, successfully rescuing six infants aged about one year who were on the verge of being trafficked.
According to Surawan, the West Java Police's director of general criminal investigation, the infants were initially sheltered in Pontianak while their immigration documents were arranged before they were dispatched to Singapore. Investigations revealed that the traffickers targeted parents or expectant mothers who were unwilling to raise their children, sometimes reaching out via social media platforms like Facebook before shifting to private messaging on WhatsApp.
"Some babies were even reserved while still in the womb," Surawan stated. The traffickers covered delivery costs and compensated mothers who agreed to relinquish their children, facilitating the illicit transfer. The syndicate's operations involved various roles, including recruiters who located expectant mothers, caretakers who looked after the babies, and individuals responsible for creating fraudulent identity documents.
After being separated from their mothers, the infants were placed with caretakers for two to three months before being sent to Jakarta and then onto Pontianak, where their documents, including birth certificates and passports, were falsified. The reported selling price for each baby ranged from 11 million to 16 million Indonesian rupiah (approximately $673 to $1,024).
The investigation led to the revelation that at least 12 male and 13 female infants had been sold both domestically and internationally, primarily from the West Java province. The police's priority now is to identify the adoptive parents in Singapore. They have highlighted the need to verify all data concerning the dispatched babies, including their companions and dates of departure, underscoring a broader need for collaboration between Indonesian and Singaporean authorities.
Surawan indicated that the sales were typically voluntary agreements between the syndicate and parents, exposing a disturbing reality where some parents sell their children due to financial distress. Those parents may also face criminal charges if proven complicit.
Ai Rahmayanti of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission warned that such trafficking syndicates often exploit vulnerable women facing dire circumstances, including cases of sexual violence and economic hardships. The illegal nature of abortion in the country further complicates these situations for many women.
Many traffickers disguise their operations as maternity clinics, orphanages, or shelters, enticing expectant mothers with appealing offers that mask the exploitative terms. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission has reported a troubling uptick in these practices, with cases of illegal adoptions rising sharply from 11 in 2020 to 59 in 2023.
As authorities continue to investigate the syndicate's network, involving collaboration with Interpol and international law enforcement, the haunting trend of baby trafficking amid Indonesia's socio-economic struggles highlights the urgent need for protective measures for vulnerable populations.
