Latest news with #Surawan
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Singapore Police to assist Indonesia in baby trafficking probe
SINGAPORE: (Bernama) The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will render the necessary assistance to their Indonesian counterparts, within the ambit of the law, following the arrests of suspects in an alleged baby trafficking syndicate linked to Singapore. SPF said they have contacted the Indonesian authorities to seek relevant information regarding the allegations. "The Police have not received any local police reports nor any information on babies being trafficked into Singapore from Indonesia. "Nonetheless, we are aware of media reports alleging that there is a baby trafficking syndicate linked to Singapore,' an SPF spokesperson said in response to Bernama's queries. Indonesian police on Tuesday (July 15) said they had arrested 12 suspects in connection with a baby trafficking syndicate and rescued six infants. According to West Java's General Criminal Investigations Director, Commissioner Surawan, one of the suspects disclosed that five of the rescued infants had been scheduled to be sent to Singapore using fake paperwork. The group is alleged to have sold at least 25 infants since 2023, with 15 reportedly sent to Singapore, BBC News Indonesia reported. Another suspect was arrested on the night of July 15, and police are still searching for three more suspects believed to be outside the country, Metro TV reported. The investigation, which began after a parent reported a suspected baby abduction, led police to uncover a wider trafficking network involving infants believed to have originated from various parts of West Java. - Bernama
UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
13 people arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of trafficking babies
A man and 12 women allegedly involved in smuggling babies-to-order were under arrest in Indonesia on Friday after police moved to shut down a transnational human trafficking operation. File Photo by Mast Irham/EPA-EFE July 18 (UPI) -- Indonesian police said Friday that they have broken up a baby-to-order human trafficking ring in West Java that allegedly sold infants for which its members paid as little as $600. All but one of the 13 suspects detained were women. As many as 25 babies were produced to order and sold to clients, some of them overseas, since the gang began operating in 2023, with police saying in a post on X that they were hunting for three other suspects who remained at large. West Java police told the BBC they had rescued six babies, all aged about 12 months, who were about to be trafficked from two locations near Jakarta and in West Kalimantan. Babies were purchased while still in the womb from biological mothers who had been recruited by the gang and trafficked via a network of main agents, caregivers, intermediaries and forgery specialists who created fake birth certificates, family ID cards and passports. Each suspect performed a specific role in the criminal enterprise, police said. "Within this network, newborn babies were handed over to intermediaries who were paid between $614 to $978 per baby. The funds were then distributed by suspect A to the biological mother and other perpetrators. Afterward, the babies were cared for by a caregiver named YN, who received a salary of $153 plus an additional $61.41 for the babies' needs," a statement said. Babies aged 2 to 3 months were then sent to Jakarta and subsequently trafficked across the Sea of Java to Pontianak on the island of Borneo "for further processing by other suspects," according to police. Once in Pontainak, a suspect police identified only as "AHA" falsified key documents and recruited "fake parents," who were paid $400 to include babies' identities in their family cards. With all the required paperwork and documents in place, were illegally adopted and sent abroad, mostly to Singapore. West Java Police's director of general criminal investigation, Surawan, said babies' nationalities had been switched and that they were urgently trying to track down their passports so that they could find the adoptive "parents" in Singapore and have them arrested. "We will cross-check the data with the babies who departed, so we know exactly who departed, who accompanied them, when they departed, and who the adopters there are," he said. Surawan said their investigation indicated that biological parents handed over their children in return for payment, often because they lacked the financial wherewithal to raise them, but some were "reserved while still in the womb." Parents could also face child protection and human trafficking offenses if it were proved they had made an agreement with the trafficking gang. West Java is one of the poorest regions of Indonesia, with government figures showing more than 3.6 million people living below the poverty line. Bandung city deputy mayor Erwin, called for tight monitoring by hospital maternity units of mothers immediately after giving birth. "Security officers must be more vigilant. Procedures for naming babies, assigning identification tags, and monitoring people entering and leaving must also be reviewed," said Erwin. However, child protection authorities warned that an abortion ban and conservative social values in the predominantly Muslim nation meant women in desperate straits were easy prey for trafficking gangs. Indonesian Child Protection Commissioner Ai Rahmayanti said women made pregnant through rape, having suffered a relationship breakup, or simply with an unwanted pregnancy were at risk. Police stressed the investigation was ongoing, and that they believed the trafficking operation was likely much more extensive than what they had uncovered to date.
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Independent Singapore
Indonesian police bust baby trafficking ring with links to Singapore adoptions
Indonesia/Singapore: In a story that raises disturbing questions about desperation, exploitation, and cross-border ethics, Indonesian police have arrested 12 individuals involved in what they describe as a baby trafficking syndicate — a network that allegedly moved infants from West Java to Singapore under the guise of adoption. They also arrested a dozen suspects across Jakarta, Pontianak and the Javanese city of Bandung. The ring came to light after parents — who were allegedly complicit in the scheme — reported their children missing when promised payments from traffickers failed to materialise. Authorities say the syndicate operated across multiple provinces, targeting mothers in crisis — unwed, impoverished, or otherwise unable to care for their newborns — and offering them money in exchange for their babies. According to West Java police, at least 24 infants were trafficked, with 14 documented as sent to Singapore , some as young as three months old . The babies were reportedly moved from Java to Pontianak in Borneo , and then abroad. Six infants were rescued in time — five in Pontianak and one near Jakarta — but for the rest, their whereabouts remain uncertain. 'These were not isolated incidents,' said Surawan , director of general criminal investigation, who spoke on behalf of the Indonesian police. 'This was a syndicate. Each member had a defined role — from recruiting mothers to falsifying documents, to arranging passports and logistics.' The infants were allegedly sold by their parents for IDR 11 million to 16 million , or about S$900 to S$1,300 — a price that reflects not just the desperation of the seller, but the demand of the buyer. A human crisis, not just a criminal one Trafficking syndicates thrive in environments where marginalised mothers have few choices. In this case, many of the women were said to have 'agreed' to the process, but in contexts where consent is blurred by poverty, trauma, and manipulation. This case is not unique to Indonesia. Across the Global South, 'manufactured orphans' are not a rarity but a symptom of a larger crisis: unprotected motherhood. In India , Guatemala , and even parts of Africa , babies have been stolen, sold, or substituted for stillbirths. Parents are often deceived into signing away rights they don't understand, with adoption framed as education or shelter. These are not just legal violations. They are failures of social support , access to justice , and international safeguards on adoption practices. More than law enforcement This is not just a matter of law enforcement. It's a humanitarian issue. The economic desperation that drives mothers to surrender their infants cannot be solved by arrests alone. Singaporean's have expressed their concerns about ethical adoption and child welfare, activists have called on authorities to also strengthen transparency in our adoption ecosystem — including scrutiny of agencies , cross-border procedures , and adoption motivations . For now, six children are safe. But many more may have been quietly passed across a border, into new names, new identities, and families that may never know the truth. The real crime isn't just what's illegal. It's what becomes invisible.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
'Booked in the womb' and sold for £500: Police bust baby trafficking ring
Indonesian police have uncovered an international baby trafficking syndicate which has allegedly sold at least 25 infants to buyers in Singapore since 2023. Authorities made 13 arrests related to the syndicate in the Indonesian cities of Pontianak and Tangerang this week, and rescued six babies who were about to be trafficked – all of whom are around a year old. "The babies were first housed in Pontianak and had their immigration documents arranged before being sent to Singapore," West Java Police's director of general criminal investigation, Surawan, told BBC News Indonesia. BBC News has contacted Singapore Police and Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs for comment, but received no response. The syndicate's alleged modus operandi was to target parents or expectant mothers who allegedly did not want to raise their child - in some cases initiating contact via Facebook before pivoting to more private channels such as WhatsApp, according to police. "Some babies were even booked while still in the womb," Surawan said. "Once born, the delivery costs were covered, then compensation money was given, and the baby was taken." Police said members of the group included recruiters who tracked down babies to be trafficked; caretakers and people who housed them; and others who prepared fraudulent civil documents such as family cards and passports, he explained. After being taken from their mothers, the babies were given to caretakers for two to three months before being sent to Jakarta and then Pontianak, where their birth certificates, passports, and documents were prepared, police said. The babies were sold for between 11 million Indonesian rupiah ($673; £502) and 16 million Indonesian rupiahs each, they added. According to some of those arrested, the syndicate sold at least 12 male and 13 female babies domestically and abroad - most of them having come from various districts and cities in the Indonesian province of West Java. Indonesian police on Thursday said that their "immediate task" was to find the adopters in Singapore. "We will cross-check the data with the babies who departed, so we know exactly who departed, who accompanied them, when they departed, and who the adopters there are," Surawan told reporters. Most of the information gathered by police indicated that the babies had changed nationality, he added, noting that authorities were still looking for their passports. Surawan earlier told BBC Indonesia that the babies were obtained through agreements between the traffickers and the parents, and that none so far had been taken by kidnapping. Parents who reported their child as kidnapped did so because the broker had failed to pay them, he said. It is suspected that at least some parents may have agreed to sell their children due to financial hardship. They too could be charged with a criminal offence, Surawan said. "If it is proven there was an agreement between the parents and the perpetrators, they can be charged with child protection crimes and human trafficking offenses," he explained. Police in Indonesia have requested assistance from Interpol and Singaporean police to arrest syndicate members who are still abroad, as well as buyers. "We will list the perpetrators as wanted persons," Surawan explained. "In addition, we will issue a red notice or request law enforcement in those countries to arrest them." Child trafficking syndicates typically target women in desperate situations, according to Ai Rahmayanti, commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI). "For example, they became pregnant due to sexual violence, abandonment by the husband, or unwanted pregnancies from casual relationships," she told BBC News Indonesia. Abortion is illegal in Indonesia except under certain conditions, such as medical emergencies and pregnancies resulting from rape. Ai Rahmayanti said baby or child trafficking syndicates often pose as maternity clinics, orphanages or social shelters that appear to care for vulnerable women and children. "These clinics or shelters use language that sounds compassionate at first, such as 'you can give birth and take your baby home'. But in reality, they offer money and illegally transfer custody of the baby," she explains. While there is no official data on the numbers of babies being sold in Indonesia, KPAI's own data on human trafficking crimes indicates that the trend is persistent and growing. While in 2020 KPAI recorded 11 cases of children as victims of illegal adoption, in 2023 it recorded 59 cases related to child abduction and trafficking under the guise of illegal adoption in 2023. One of the most recent cases that KPAI advocated occurred in 2024, when babies were found in the process of being sold in locations such as Depok, West Java and Bali. The babies, she said, were sold at varying prices. "In Java, [the price is] between Rp11 million and Rp15 million, while in Bali it can reach Rp20 million to Rp26 million," she explained. "The price is also based on several indicators, one of which is the baby's physical appearance." The trafficked children hiding in plain sight More than 150 arrests in global human trafficking crackdown
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Indonesia: Police bust trafficking syndicate sending babies to Singapore
Indonesian police have uncovered an international baby trafficking syndicate which has allegedly sold at least 25 infants to buyers in Singapore since made 13 arrests related to the syndicate in the Indonesian cities of Pontianak and Tangerang this week, and rescued six babies who were about to be trafficked – all of whom are around a year old."The babies were first housed in Pontianak and had their immigration documents arranged before being sent to Singapore," West Java Police's director of general criminal investigation, Surawan, told BBC News News has contacted Singapore Police and Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs for comment, but received no response. The syndicate's alleged modus operandi was to target parents or expectant mothers who allegedly did not want to raise their child - in some cases initiating contact via Facebook before pivoting to more private channels such as WhatsApp, according to police."Some babies were even booked while still in the womb," Surawan said. "Once born, the delivery costs were covered, then compensation money was given, and the baby was taken."Police said members of the group included recruiters who tracked down babies to be trafficked; caretakers and people who housed them; and others who prepared fraudulent civil documents such as family cards and passports, he being taken from their mothers, the babies were given to caretakers for two to three months before being sent to Jakarta and then Pontianak, where their birth certificates, passports, and documents were prepared, police babies were sold for between 11 million Indonesian rupiah ($673; £502) and 16 million Indonesian rupiahs each, they to some of those arrested, the syndicate sold at least 12 male and 13 female babies domestically and abroad - most of them having come from various districts and cities in the Indonesian province of West police on Thursday said that their "immediate task" was to find the adopters in Singapore."We will cross-check the data with the babies who departed, so we know exactly who departed, who accompanied them, when they departed, and who the adopters there are," Surawan told of the information gathered by police indicated that the babies had changed nationality, he added, noting that authorities were still looking for their passports. Surawan earlier told BBC Indonesia that the babies were obtained through agreements between the traffickers and the parents, and that none so far had been taken by kidnapping. Parents who reported their child as kidnapped did so because the broker had failed to pay them, he is suspected that at least some parents may have agreed to sell their children due to financial hardship. They too could be charged with a criminal offence, Surawan said."If it is proven there was an agreement between the parents and the perpetrators, they can be charged with child protection crimes and human trafficking offenses," he in Indonesia have requested assistance from Interpol and Singaporean police to arrest syndicate members who are still abroad, as well as buyers."We will list the perpetrators as wanted persons," Surawan explained. "In addition, we will issue a red notice or request law enforcement in those countries to arrest them."Child trafficking syndicates typically target women in desperate situations, according to Ai Rahmayanti, commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI)."For example, they became pregnant due to sexual violence, abandonment by the husband, or unwanted pregnancies from casual relationships," she told BBC News is illegal in Indonesia except under certain conditions, such as medical emergencies and pregnancies resulting from Rahmayanti said baby or child trafficking syndicates often pose as maternity clinics, orphanages or social shelters that appear to care for vulnerable women and children."These clinics or shelters use language that sounds compassionate at first, such as 'you can give birth and take your baby home'. But in reality, they offer money and illegally transfer custody of the baby," she there is no official data on the numbers of babies being sold in Indonesia, KPAI's own data on human trafficking crimes indicates that the trend is persistent and in 2020 KPAI recorded 11 cases of children as victims of illegal adoption, in 2023 it recorded 59 cases related to child abduction and trafficking under the guise of illegal adoption in of the most recent cases that KPAI advocated occurred in 2024, when babies were found in the process of being sold in locations such as Depok, West Java and babies, she said, were sold at varying prices."In Java, [the price is] between Rp11 million and Rp15 million, while in Bali it can reach Rp20 million to Rp26 million," she explained. "The price is also based on several indicators, one of which is the baby's physical appearance."
