24 Babies Become Victims Of Sales To Singapore, 12 Suspects Arrested By West Java Police

The Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) of the West Java Police revealed that the results of the development of cases of infant buying and selling syndicates showed that at least 24 babies had been victims of sales to Singapore by 12 suspects who have now been arrested.

Director of the General Criminal Investigation of the West Java Police, Kombes Surawan, said that this human trafficking originated from the development of a child kidnapping case that occurred in the city of Bandung.

"We received information that the suspect had taken as many as 24 babies," said Surawan as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 15.

Surawan said the majority of the babies came from West Java. After being taken from their biological parents, they were treated in Bandung, moved to Jakarta, then sent to West Kalimantan before being planned for Singapore.

The police managed to secure five babies in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and another baby in the Tangerang area, Banten. All of these babies are currently under the handling of the West Java Police.

"They have been operating since 2023, while we will leave the baby at the Sartika Asih Hospital in Bandung for a health check," he said.

Surawan revealed that the babies are known to be re-adopted by potential buyers in Singapore at a price of Rp. 11 million to Rp. 16 million per baby.

"Yes, the information from the suspect was that the babies were brought in Singapore or adopted by Singaporean citizens. Temporary information like that," he said.

He explained that the suspects had different roles in the syndicate, ranging from early recruiters, baby nurses, fake document makers, to sending babies abroad.

"Even sales until before birth, namely from the content then there is a container, and there is also a letter maker, and also a sender," he said.

The West Java Regional Police stated that they would continue to investigate this case and cooperate with Interpol to trace the possibility of other victims who had been sent abroad.

"Currently we are still developing related to the babies in Singapore. Later we will work together with Interpol," he said.