Prosecutors in Indonesia have opened the trial of 19 people accused of running a baby trafficking syndicate that allegedly sent newborns to Singapore and sold others domestically.
The defendants, 18 women and one man aged between 26 and 70, appeared at the Bandung District Court on Tuesday, 7th Apr. They face charges of recruiting, transporting, or harbouring individuals for exploitation, as well as trafficking Indonesians abroad under the country’s Human Trafficking Law.
Prosecutors allege the group trafficked at least 34 infants between 2023 and 2025, including at least 10 who were sent to Singapore and sold for up to S$18,000 each. All the babies originated from the Bandung area.
The case began in 2023 when defendant Lie Siu Luan, also known as Lily, was contacted by a Singaporean identified as Petter, who asked her to find babies for adoption.
Petter allegedly instructed her to arrange for fake parents to sign Form ACA-2 before an Indonesian notary. The document is used to give consent for adoption under Singapore’s Adoption of Children Act.
Prosecutor Billie Andrian told the court: “(The defendants) were then asked to prepare documents in the form of birth certificates, identity cards, family cards and passports.”
These documents were allegedly created using false identities.
According to prosecutors, Lily directed others to find babies under the guise of adoption. Recruiters searched social media and online adoption groups, offering birth parents between nine million and 15 million rupiah. “The number of babies recruited by the defendants reached 34,” Billie said.
The syndicate also arranged fake birth parents or guardians to participate in video calls with prospective adopters.
At least 10 babies were provided with forged Singaporean adoption papers and transported to Singapore between 2023 and 2025. Five defendants allegedly posed as parents or guardians to escort the infants.
Those not sent abroad were reportedly sold within Indonesia or placed in orphanages.
Lead prosecutor Sukanda said: “Those without a buyer were given up to an orphanage.”
He added that babies sold in Singapore fetched between 200 million and 250 million rupiah.
Investigators said operations sometimes began before birth, with pregnant women in financial difficulty approached by recruiters. Some infants were reportedly reserved while still in the womb.
The process involved falsified civil records, including adding infants to family cards using fake birth certificates to obtain passports. Babies from Bandung, Sukabumi and Cianjur were moved through Jakarta and Pontianak before being sent to final destinations.
Authorities arrested the suspects in mid-July last year during coordinated raids in Bandung, Jakarta and Pontianak, where infants were kept in transit.
Two additional suspects remain under investigation, while three others are still at large, according to West Java police spokesman Hendra Rochmawan.
The trial was delayed by one week to allow more defendants to secure legal representation. Eight defendants have since appointed their own lawyers, while the rest are represented by court-appointed counsel.
Witness testimonies are scheduled to begin on 14th Apr.
Lily’s lawyer, Sendi Sanjaya, denied the allegations, saying his client was helping prospective parents. “We reject the notion that she is an agent or a broker let alone the mastermind of a criminal enterprise,” he said.
“We will prove that some portions of the indictment are not based on facts.”
All 19 defendants face between three and 15 years in prison if convicted, along with fines ranging from 120 million–600 million rupiah.
The case has drawn attention in both Indonesia and Singapore. Experts say poverty, stigma surrounding abortion, and limited understanding of legal adoption processes contribute to such activities. Gaps in civil registration systems and strict adoption rules may also create opportunities for abuse.
Singapore’s Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said authorities are working with Indonesian counterparts. “When the facts are clearer, the Ministry of Social and Family Development will review whether existing adoption processes should be enhanced,” he said.
Minister of State Goh Pei Ming added that Singapore is ensuring all inter-country adoptions comply with legal requirements.
Indonesia enforces strict adoption rules. Prospective parents must be married, aged 30–55, financially stable, and approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Overseas adoption is largely prohibited, with limited exceptions for foreigners residing in Indonesia.
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