JAKARTA: The Depok Police in West Java have uncovered a cross-provincial baby-trafficking ring that allegedly bought newborns online and sold them to residents, some of them foreigners, of the resort island of Bali.
Depok Police chief Sr Cmr Arya Perdana announced earlier this week that they had arrested eight persons involved in the “well-organised” crime, including a broker, an intermediary and the parents of two babies who were about to be sent from Depok to Bali.
All the suspects will be charged under the 2017 Human Trafficking Law and the 2014 Child Protection Law, which carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and Rp600 million (US$39,000) in fines.
The syndicate, Arya went on to say, operated through social media platform Facebook to attract both prospective adoptive parents and families from underprivileged backgrounds who were willing to sell their babies in exchange for cash of Rp10 million to Rp15 million (US$650 to $1,000).
The adoptive parents, on the other hand, were required to pay between Rp40 million to Rp45 million to secure a baby. The syndicate had completed five such illegal transactions, the police chief added.
“We have yet to find any involvement of foreigners in this syndicate, but they were indeed one of the target markets,” Arya told a press conference on Monday, adding that the two babies secured from the police’s recent operation were currently under the care of the Depok Social Agency.
The Depok Police are cooperating with the Bali Police as the alleged syndicate mastermind, identified as I Made Aryadana, is a Bali resident who reportedly runs an illegal social foundation that facilitates similar unlawful transactions on the island.
The Bali Police raided Aryadana’s foundation and discovered eight pregnant women ready to sell their babies upon birth. The authorities then proceeded to probe other foundations suspected of collaborating with the syndicate, including the likelihood of healthcare professionals being involved in the case.
Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) chairperson Ai Maryati Solihah applauded the police’s efforts in busting the baby-trafficking syndicate, adding that the KPAI would monitor the legal process of the case.
On Wednesday, Ai visited the Depok Police headquarters to meet with Arya and ensure that all individuals involved in the crime were apprehended.
Ai explained that such syndicates typically targeted impoverished parents who cannot afford medical expenses for childbirth and often involve social foundations, orphanages and healthcare workers.
The KPAI has scheduled a meeting with the Depok Social Agency issuing social foundations’ licences and the Depok Health Agency overseeing healthcare professionals to prevent similar cases from recurring.
"Establishing a foundation is commendable, but if it is used as a front for human trafficking, in this case for babies, it means they are exploiting the vulnerability of children who, being unable to act on their own, must rely entirely on their caregivers," Ai said.
"This case is just the tip of an iceberg."
The KPAI has recorded rampant cases of child abduction and trafficking in the country, with 74 cases in 2021 and 63 and 59 in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Meanwhile, the United Nations estimates that around 56 per cent of the world’s human trafficking victims come from the Asia Pacific region, with South-East Asia and South Asia as the key hubs for supplying victims.
Last year, Suhendra, the owner of the Ayah Sejuta Anak Foundation in Bogor, West Java, was found guilty of selling a baby for Rp15 million under the pretext of covering delivery costs.
Cibinong Court sentenced him to four years in prison and a fine of Rp100 million for the crime. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
