Published 9 hours ago • loading... • Updated 3 hours ago
Nineteen Found Guilty of Trafficking Babies in Indonesia and Singapore
Prosecutors said at least 12 infants were sent to Singapore and sold for 200 million to 250 million rupiah each.
On Tuesday, the Bandung District Court convicted 19 defendants for running a baby-trafficking network, sentencing 70-year leader Lie Siu Luan to seven years in prison.
The syndicate trafficked at least 34 babies between 2023 and 2025, operating across West Java to illegally sell infants for adoption, with 12 believed to have reached Singapore.
Syndicate recruiter Astri Fitrinika and document forger Lai Siu received six years and seven months, while 14 caregivers were sentenced to three years and four months.
While prosecutors sought up to 10 years for the defendants, Judge Gatot Ardian Agustiono delivered shorter sentences, noting exploitation within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
This case has shocked Singapore and Indonesia, highlighting persistent child trafficking concerns where parents are often misled, leaving adoptive parents realizing their children may have been trafficked.
In Indonesia, nineteen people have been convicted of trafficking babies. They sold the newborns under the pretext of adoption, but made a lot of money from it.
8 hours ago·Amsterdam, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
The leader of the group was sentenced to seven years in prison. At least 34 babies will have been sold inside and outside the country, for prices around 700 euros. Destination of trafficked babies is uncertain.