The investigation into the baby trafficking case from West Java to Singapore has entered a new phase. The selling price for each baby is approximately 20,000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to Rp 254 million.
Each baby from West Java sold by a syndicate to Singapore is valued at Rp 254 million.
English
By Fabio Maria Lopes Costa
30 Jul 2025 10:11 WIB · English
BANDUNG, KOMPAS – The police have arrested six new suspects in the case of baby trafficking from West Java to West Kalimantan. Recent investigations into this case revealed that the selling price for each baby sold to Singapore is 20,000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to the current exchange rate of Rp 254 million.
The arrest of six new suspects at two locations in West Kalimantan was carried out by the West Java Regional Police’s Directorate of General Criminal Investigation on Sunday (27/7/2025). The police also rescued two infants from the hands of the perpetrators.
The police brought four perpetrators and two infants to the West Java Police Headquarters in Bandung City on Tuesday (29/7/2025) at 10:40 PM WIB. All of the perpetrators are women.
The perpetrators were immediately detained and interrogated at the West Java Regional Police Criminal Investigation Directorate. The initials of the four perpetrators are TSH, KR, DI, and DA.
Meanwhile, two other suspects with the initials FL and ML are not detained by the West Java Police. This is because both are currently pregnant. They are required to report regularly and are being monitored by the West Kalimantan Police.
“Two rescued babies are of male and female gender. The two babies, aged 5 and 10 months, were immediately taken to Bhayangkara Sartika Asih Hospital in Bandung for medical treatment. They are planned to be placed in a local orphanage,” said the Director of General Criminal Investigation of West Java Police, Commissioner Surawan, on Wednesday (30/7/2025).
Several new facts have emerged in the investigation of the baby trafficking case originating from West Java. First, a total of 20 suspects have been arrested in the international baby trafficking syndicate by the West Java Police.
In addition to the 6 new perpetrators arrested by the police, 14 other perpetrators who are now detained at the West Java Police Headquarters are identified by the initials L, LSH, M, Yn, Yt, DFK, At, FS, DW, As, AK, AF, DH, EM.
A total of 20 individuals have been designated as suspects. The roles of the suspects include donors, recruiters, facilitators, caregivers, manufacturers, acting as false parents, and sellers.
They are charged under Article 83 of Law Number 17 of 2016 concerning Child Protection and Articles 2, 4, and 6 of Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Crime of Human Trafficking.
“All suspects face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. There are still two suspects who have not been apprehended to date. Both are identified by the initials W and YY. They have been placed on the wanted list (DPO),” said Surawan.
There are 12 notarial deeds written in English containing information about the adoption of the children. The identities of 12 couples who are citizens of Singapore are revealed in those notarial deeds.
“The transaction value per baby can reach around 20,000 Singapore dollars, which is paid by adoptive parents to the perpetrator with the initials L. Part of the funds is used for delivery costs and the needs of the baby, while the remainder becomes profit for the perpetrators,” said Surawan.
The third fact is that six new perpetrators arrested by the West Java Police acted as caregivers and false parents. They were responsible for managing the population documents of fictitious babies, including passports, before selling them abroad.
“These six perpetrators received payments ranging from Rp 5 million to Rp 10 million for carrying out their actions. In our findings, the identity documents of the two rescued infants have been completed,” said Surawan.
The latest fact is that, in two operations, the West Java Police have rescued eight babies from the hands of the perpetrators in the last three weeks. In the first operation on July 14, 2025, the police rescued six babies from West Java in Pontianak and Tangerang, Banten.
“We are still investigating whether the two rescued babies are among the 25 babies or if there are additional new victims,” said Surawan.
This isn’t the first time many Indonesians have been traded since they were born. In 2023, for example, Kompas Daily/Kompas.id exposed a case of baby trafficking.
Most of the victims are parents who gave birth before marriage. From previous experiences, the perpetrators also operated on social media. There is involvement from doctors to nurses in facilitating this practice.
In the publication Kompas.id (September 3, 2024), the Chairperson of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) Ai Maryati Solihah argued that economic limitations and unpreparedness to accept the presence of a baby are the main factors that cause parents to engage in this practice.
According to Ai, the process of illegal adoption poses significant risks to the safety of infants in the future. “Illegal adoption can make infants victims of exploitation because there is no legal guarantee protecting them,” said Ai.
The Chairperson of the Socialization and Education Board of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), Lia Latifah, stated that the practice of baby selling is now being conducted openly on social media. The children are sold to prospective adoptive parents residing in the regions of Banten, Jakarta, and Lampung.
Lia revealed that most babies are sold because their biological parents are unable to finance the needs of the child or because the babies are born from relationships outside of marriage.
“Throughout 2024, we have assisted in eight cases of child trafficking in Jakarta and Bekasi. Most of the perpetrators are young couples under the age of 30 who are emotionally immature,” he stated.
She urged that all individuals involved in the buying and selling of babies be subjected to severe penalties as a form of deterrent effect. “This is not a trivial matter. It concerns the future and safety of children,” Lia stated.
The Head of the West Java Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning Office (DP3AKB), Siska Gerfianti, expressed deep concern over the revelation of a baby selling case by a human trafficking syndicate in the West Java region.
“This case serves as a serious warning for all of us, especially parents, to better understand, appreciate, and protect children’s rights,” said Siska.
BANDUNG, KOMPAS – The police have arrested six new suspects in the case of baby trafficking from West Java to West Kalimantan. Recent investigations into this case revealed that the selling price for each baby sold to Singapore is 20,000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to the current exchange rate of Rp 254 million.
The arrest of six new suspects at two locations in West Kalimantan was carried out by the West Java Regional Police’s Directorate of General Criminal Investigation on Sunday (27/7/2025). The police also rescued two infants from the hands of the perpetrators.
The police brought four perpetrators and two infants to the West Java Police Headquarters in Bandung City on Tuesday (29/7/2025) at 10:40 PM WIB. All of the perpetrators are women.
The perpetrators were immediately detained and interrogated at the West Java Regional Police Criminal Investigation Directorate. The initials of the four perpetrators are TSH, KR, DI, and DA.
Meanwhile, two other suspects with the initials FL and ML are not detained by the West Java Police. This is because both are currently pregnant. They are required to report regularly and are being monitored by the West Kalimantan Police.
“Two rescued babies are of male and female gender. The two babies, aged 5 and 10 months, were immediately taken to Bhayangkara Sartika Asih Hospital in Bandung for medical treatment. They are planned to be placed in a local orphanage,” said the Director of General Criminal Investigation of West Java Police, Commissioner Surawan, on Wednesday (30/7/2025).
Several new facts have emerged in the investigation of the baby trafficking case originating from West Java. First, a total of 20 suspects have been arrested in the international baby trafficking syndicate by the West Java Police.
In addition to the 6 new perpetrators arrested by the police, 14 other perpetrators who are now detained at the West Java Police Headquarters are identified by the initials L, LSH, M, Yn, Yt, DFK, At, FS, DW, As, AK, AF, DH, EM.
A total of 20 individuals have been designated as suspects. The roles of the suspects include donors, recruiters, facilitators, caregivers, manufacturers, acting as false parents, and sellers.
They are charged under Article 83 of Law Number 17 of 2016 concerning Child Protection and Articles 2, 4, and 6 of Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Crime of Human Trafficking.
“All suspects face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. There are still two suspects who have not been apprehended to date. Both are identified by the initials W and YY. They have been placed on the wanted list (DPO),” said Surawan.
There are 12 notarial deeds written in English containing information about the adoption of the children. The identities of 12 couples who are citizens of Singapore are revealed in those notarial deeds.
“The transaction value per baby can reach around 20,000 Singapore dollars, which is paid by adoptive parents to the perpetrator with the initials L. Part of the funds is used for delivery costs and the needs of the baby, while the remainder becomes profit for the perpetrators,” said Surawan.
The third fact is that six new perpetrators arrested by the West Java Police acted as caregivers and false parents. They were responsible for managing the population documents of fictitious babies, including passports, before selling them abroad.
“These six perpetrators received payments ranging from Rp 5 million to Rp 10 million for carrying out their actions. In our findings, the identity documents of the two rescued infants have been completed,” said Surawan.
The latest fact is that, in two operations, the West Java Police have rescued eight babies from the hands of the perpetrators in the last three weeks. In the first operation on July 14, 2025, the police rescued six babies from West Java in Pontianak and Tangerang, Banten.
“We are still investigating whether the two rescued babies are among the 25 babies or if there are additional new victims,” said Surawan.
This isn’t the first time many Indonesians have been traded since they were born. In 2023, for example, Kompas Daily/Kompas.id exposed a case of baby trafficking.
Most of the victims are parents who gave birth before marriage. From previous experiences, the perpetrators also operated on social media. There is involvement from doctors to nurses in facilitating this practice.
In the publication Kompas.id (September 3, 2024), the Chairperson of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) Ai Maryati Solihah argued that economic limitations and unpreparedness to accept the presence of a baby are the main factors that cause parents to engage in this practice.
According to Ai, the process of illegal adoption poses significant risks to the safety of infants in the future. “Illegal adoption can make infants victims of exploitation because there is no legal guarantee protecting them,” said Ai.
The Chairperson of the Socialization and Education Board of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), Lia Latifah, stated that the practice of baby selling is now being conducted openly on social media. The children are sold to prospective adoptive parents residing in the regions of Banten, Jakarta, and Lampung.
Lia revealed that most babies are sold because their biological parents are unable to finance the needs of the child or because the babies are born from relationships outside of marriage.
“Throughout 2024, we have assisted in eight cases of child trafficking in Jakarta and Bekasi. Most of the perpetrators are young couples under the age of 30 who are emotionally immature,” he stated.
She urged that all individuals involved in the buying and selling of babies be subjected to severe penalties as a form of deterrent effect. “This is not a trivial matter. It concerns the future and safety of children,” Lia stated.
The Head of the West Java Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning Office (DP3AKB), Siska Gerfianti, expressed deep concern over the revelation of a baby selling case by a human trafficking syndicate in the West Java region.
“This case serves as a serious warning for all of us, especially parents, to better understand, appreciate, and protect children’s rights,” said Siska.
Credits
Writer:
Editor:
About the Author
