Indonesian court hears case against 19 accused of selling infants to Singapore

The Bandung District Court has begun hearing a major cross-border baby trafficking case involving 19 defendants accused of selling infants to Singapore under the guise of adoption.

The first substantive hearing took place on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, with public prosecutors outlining the indictment before a panel of judges led by Gatot Ardian Agustriono. The prosecution team is headed by Sukanda.

Organised network with defined roles

Prosecutors told the court that the alleged offences were carried out by an organised network operating between 2023 and 2025, with members assigned to specific operational clusters.

The alleged mastermind was identified as Lie Siu Luan, also known by several aliases including Lily, Popo and Ai. She is accused of coordinating the procurement of babies for overseas adoption.

According to the indictment, a Singaporean national known as Petter first approached Lie in 2023, requesting assistance in sourcing infants. Prosecutors said she was promised US$18,000 (approximately S$18,000 or Rp204 million) for each baby.

Other defendants were grouped into functional roles, including:

• An agent cluster responsible for forging documents and sourcing “fake parents”, led by Siu Ha
• Intermediaries who arranged placements and temporary care, including Maryani, Yenti and Yenni
• Transport and caregiving personnel who escorted babies to Singapore while posing as guardians
• A transfer group managing routes from Jakarta to West Kalimantan and onward overseas
• Recruiters tasked with identifying vulnerable parents
• Individuals acting as carers or “stand-in” parents for documentation purposes

Nineteen defendants are standing trial, comprising 18 women and one man.

Alleged trafficking of at least 34 babies

Prosecutors allege that at least 34 babies were trafficked by the syndicate, including a minimum of 10 sent to Singapore. Some infants were reportedly “reserved” before birth.

Recruiters are said to have targeted financially vulnerable parents, including those unable or unwilling to raise their children. Investigators found that some recruits were identified through social media and online adoption groups.

After agreements were reached, the syndicate allegedly financed childbirth and provided compensation to biological parents. Babies were then transported to Pontianak, where they were held before being sent abroad.

In Pontianak, prosecutors said the infants were issued falsified identities, including forged birth certificates, family cards and passports naming fictitious parents.

The indictment states that adoption files were prepared using documents resembling those required under Singapore’s Adoption of Children Act 2022, including consent forms purportedly signed before an Indonesian notary.

Babies rejected by prospective adopters in Singapore were allegedly sold domestically in cities such as Jakarta, Tangerang and Surabaya.

Legal proceedings and charges

All defendants face multiple charges under Indonesia’s Criminal Code and laws on human trafficking and child protection, including provisions under Law No. 21 of 2007 on the Eradication of Human Trafficking.

If convicted, they could face prison sentences of up to 15 years.

The hearing lasted less than an hour and followed an earlier postponement after most defendants initially appeared without legal counsel. During proceedings, one defendant objected to the indictment, but the court instructed that objections be addressed during the evidentiary stage.

The trial is scheduled to resume on 14 April with witness examination.

Case uncovered in 2025

The case came to light following a report filed in April 2025 by a parent who alleged baby abduction after engaging with an online adoption group.

Subsequent investigations by West Java Police led to the arrest of 24 suspects across West Java, Banten and West Kalimantan. Authorities said the group operated a coordinated system involving recruiters, carers, document forgers and transporters.

Police reported that several babies were rescued during the investigation, while others had already been sent abroad.

Developments in Singapore

Authorities in Singapore have also taken action in response to the case. At least three adoption agents have reportedly been detained, and citizenship applications for affected children have been frozen.

The case has been raised in parliament, with questions over how the trafficking could have occurred despite Singapore’s strict immigration and adoption controls.

Officials stated that adoption agencies and prospective parents are responsible for verifying the origin of children and conducting due diligence. However, authorities acknowledged that irregularities may be difficult to detect if falsified documentation originates from abroad.

The situation has caused concern among some adoptive families. One Singaporean couple told local media they feared their adopted child could be among those trafficked, noting that the child has already bonded closely with them after more than a year in their care.

The ongoing proceedings in Bandung are expected to shed further light on the scale and mechanisms of the cross-border network.