Court sentences 19 members of syndicate, including ringleader, after network sold dozens of babies under guise of adoption.
An Indonesian court has sentenced all 19 members of a baby trafficking syndicate to prison terms ranging from more than three to seven years for illegally selling dozens of infants, including at least a dozen sent to Singapore.
The Bandung City District Court delivered the verdicts on July 21, 2026. The group’s mastermind, 70-year-old Lie Siu Luan, also known as Lily, received the heaviest sentence of seven years after being convicted of coordinating the operation. The other defendants-18 women and one man-were given terms of between three years and four months and six years.
Baby Traffickers Jailed Over Singapore Sales:
Prosecutors said the network trafficked at least 34 babies between 2022 and 2025. The infants were typically obtained from vulnerable mothers in West Java, sometimes “reserved” while still in the womb, and then sold under the pretence of legal adoption. Around a dozen of the children were smuggled to Singapore, where they fetched between 200 million and 250 million Indonesian rupiah ($14,400-$18,000) each.
The babies were often moved first to Pontianak on Borneo island, where immigration documents were arranged before they were transported onward. At least four “agents” in Singapore were allegedly involved in receiving the children, according to court testimony.
Indonesian authorities first dismantled the ring in mid-2025, rescuing several infants who were about to be trafficked. The case has drawn regional attention to the vulnerabilities in informal adoption networks and the cross-border nature of child trafficking in Southeast Asia.
The sentences fell short of the maximum penalties sought by prosecutors, who had requested up to 10 years for the ringleader. Human rights advocates have expressed concern about the future of the trafficked children, some of whom remain with the families that received them in Singapore and Indonesia, while others face uncertain legal status.
Interpol Joins Baby Trafficking Probe:
Singapore has not publicly detailed any parallel investigations into the local buyers, though Indonesian officials have said they are coordinating with international partners, including Interpol, to track the infants already sent abroad.
Child trafficking remains a persistent challenge in the region, often exploiting poverty, weak oversight of private adoptions and demand from childless couples. Indonesian police described the syndicate as highly organised, with clear roles for recruiters, transporters and document facilitators.
The convictions mark one of the largest recent prosecutions of a baby-selling network linking Indonesia and Singapore, underscoring the need for stronger bilateral cooperation to protect the most vulnerable.