Indonesia charges 19 over alleged baby trafficking ring that sent infants to Singapore

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JAKARTA: The Indonesian judicial system is currently addressing one of its most significant human trafficking cases, involving a syndicate that allegedly smuggled infants from West Java to Singapore. Nineteen defendants, including the suspected 70-year-old ringleader Lie Siu Luan, faced a Bandung court on Tuesday. Prosecutors allege the group systematically exploited vulnerable families to fuel an international black market for adoptions.

The operation relied on a sophisticated network of recruiters who targeted pregnant women facing financial hardship. Infants were often ‘reserved’ before birth, with biological parents receiving small payments while the syndicate fetched over S$20,000 per child in Singapore. The ring prioritized ‘good-looking’ babies for export, while others were sold domestically within Indonesia.

To bypass border controls, the syndicate used falsified administrative records, including birth certificates and family registers, to obtain legitimate passports. By using ‘fake parents’ to register the infants, they created a paper trail that appeared legal to immigration authorities. This allowed couriers to fly the babies directly from Jakarta to Changi Airport.

As the trial proceeds, the Indonesian and Singaporean governments are collaborating to review suspicious adoption cases and identify local agents involved. While the defense claims the ring acted in ‘good faith’ to provide children with better lives, prosecutors are seeking the maximum 15-year prison sentence to dismantle this illicit trade and protect child welfare.