19 charged in Indonesia for allegedly trafficking 34 babies, including 10 sent to Singapore

Nineteen people have been charged in an Indonesian court for their alleged involvement in a trafficking ring that sent babies across the country and overseas, including to Singapore. 

The 19 suspects — 18 women and one man — were charged at the Indonesian Bandung District Court on Tuesday (April 7) and face up to 15 years in jail if convicted, reported CNA. A total of 34 babies were involved. 

The primary charge the suspects face is human trafficking, which covers the alleged recruitment, transport, harbouring or transfer of individuals through means such as fraud, coercion, threats, or abuse of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation, according to The Straits Times (ST).

The alleged ringleader of the group was identified as 70-year-old Lie Siu Luan, also known as Lily, who was reportedly arrested in July 2025 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport upon returning from Singapore.

The trafficking ring allegedly sent 10 babies to Singapore between 2023 and 2025, CNA reported Indonesian prosecutors as saying, adding that the infants were sold for as much as $18,000 per child. 

According to prosecutors, Lily had been contacted by a Singaporean man named Petter, who asked her to find babies for adoption. He remains at-large. 

The babies trafficked by the syndicate were allegedly all taken from the Bandung area in West Java, said CNA.

Lily's lawyer, Dr Sendi Sanjaya, was reported by ST as saying that his client had acted in good faith, and that the cases involved the consent of the babies' parents.

Meanwhile, CNA reported the lawyer as saying that his client was only helping hopeful parents find babies to adopt "out of kindness".

"We reject the notion that she is an agent or a broker let alone the mastermind of a criminal enterprise," he reportedly said, according to CNA. 

The baby trafficking ring was first reported locally in January this year, after a local couple undergoing the adoption process was informed by authorities that the child they planned to adopt could have been part of a trafficking syndicate.

In a joint statement on Jan 9, the Ministry for Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs said they were aware of the incident and "are working closely across the relevant authorities to ensure that the cases are dealt with as expeditiously as we can, and to safeguard the welfare and interests of the children".

The issue was also addressed in Parliament by Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming on Jan 14, who said that adoption agencies in Singapore are expected to carry out due diligence to ensure that the children they bring in are of "correct background and origin".

While he was unable to comment on the timeline of the case due to ongoing investigations, Goh said that the ministry takes the matter seriously and will work with the relevant authorities to ensure safeguards, transparency, and support for families affected.

"We have guidelines telling the agencies what they can and cannot do. If we uncover that agencies were aware that the children they are bringing in are of unknown or suspicious origin, and despite so, bring them in, they will be taken to task."

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dana.leong@asiaone.com 

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