JAKARTA: The Indonesian National Police (Polri) are working with their counterpart in Singapore to investigate an alleged cross-border baby-trafficking syndicate based in West Java, in which three Singaporeans are suspected to be involved.
The syndicate’s operations allegedly spanned the areas of Bandung, Jakarta, Pontianak in West Kalimantan as well as Singapore, according to Untung Widyatmoko, secretary of Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Indonesia.
“We are tracing the trafficking of these babies all the way abroad,” Untung was quoted in a Polri statement that was updated on Monday (Sep 22).
He added that the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is “prepared to assist in locating the three Singaporean nationals” suspected of being involved in the case.
According to the Indonesian authorities, police in Singapore have also agreed to assist in questioning witnesses involved in the case.
“A list of questions (have been prepared) by the West Java Police investigators which will be forwarded via the NCB in Jakarta to the NCB in Singapore by the end of the week,” Polri’s statement on Monday read.
According to Interpol’s website, Singapore’s NCB sits in the International Cooperation Department (ICD) of the SPF.
CNA has reached out to SPF for comments on the case.
It was reported in July that six infants had been rescued by Indonesian authorities, with five allegedly intended to be sold to buyers in Singapore.
But latest investigations found that those involved in the purported syndicate had gathered a total of 25 babies, 15 of whom had already been sent to Singapore “under the guise of adoption”, according to Polri.
Its statement on Monday also quoted Chief of West Java Police Criminal Investigation Surawan as saying that each baby was “sold for around S$20,000 (US$16,000), equivalent to approximately 254 million rupiah”.
“This amount covered delivery costs, baby care expenses, and profits for those involved,” the statement added.
According to Surawan – who goes by one name – the figure was obtained from 12 notarised adoption documents seized from the home of one of the suspects.
Surawan had previously told local media that the baby-trafficking ring has been operating since 2023 and the babies were sold “for about 11 million to 16 million rupiah”.
The number of suspects in the case have also risen, from 14 to 22.
They have been charged under Indonesia’s human trafficking law, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of 600 million rupiah (US$36,000).
Meanwhile, in Singapore, a lawyer previously told CNA that several aspects of the case may constitute serious offences including possible illegal adoption practices under the Adoption of Children Act 2022.
“(This includes) payments made or received to facilitate an adoption without court sanction, the use of fraud, duress or misrepresentation to obtain consent, or providing false information during the adoption process,” said Umar Abdullah, who is Associate Director at ADEL Law LLC.
Under the Adoption of Children Act 2022, those convicted of illegal adoption for the first offence could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined S$10,000, said Umar.
The lawyer added that the use of forged travel or identity documents such as fake passports or birth certificates may also constitute offences under both the Immigration Act and the Penal Code for forgery-related offences.
The use or possession of forged documents under the Immigration Act could carry up to 10 years imprisonment or a S$10,000 fine, or both, Umar told CNA.
Additional reporting by Izzah Aqilah Norman.
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