Indonesian authorities have dismantled a baby trafficking ring accused of sending over a dozen infants to Singapore, following the arrest of 12 suspects across multiple cities. The syndicate, which had reportedly been operating since 2023, was exposed after a parent filed a kidnapping report—ironically after an alleged payment dispute with the traffickers.

According to West Java police official Surawan, the investigation revealed that 24 babies had been trafficked, with 14 documented as sent to Singapore via Pontianak city on Borneo island. The victims, all under one year old—some as young as three months—were moved covertly before being smuggled abroad.

Authorities successfully rescued five babies in Pontianak and one in Tangerang, near Jakarta. The arrested suspects were spread across Jakarta, Bandung, and Pontianak. Police described the group as a well-coordinated syndicate, with members assigned specific roles including sourcing infants, caregiving, forging civil documents such as family registration cards and passports, and facilitating overseas movement.

Investigations revealed that the group targeted vulnerable parents—often those unwilling or unable to raise their newborns—offering money in exchange for the infants. In the case that broke the operation open, the reporting parent had initially agreed to give up the child but turned to authorities after not receiving the promised payment.

Human trafficking remains a significant challenge in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The country has seen multiple cases of trafficking abuses, including a 2022 incident in which 57 people were found imprisoned at a palm oil plantation in North Sumatra.

Police continue to expand their investigation as they work to dismantle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable populations across the archipelago.