JAKARTA: Police in Medan, North Sumatra, have arrested nine people and are searching for three others over their alleged involvement in a baby trafficking ring operating through illegal adoption schemes on social media.
Medan Police chief Sr Comr Jean Calvijn Simanjuntak said the suspects, identified only as HD, HT, J, BS, HR, VL, N, K and S, had sold at least two babies for between Rp 9 million (US$530) and Rp 25 million each.
The group was preparing to sell a third baby when police made the arrest.
“The suspects marketed babies through Facebook groups and TikTok. The syndicate operated with a well-organised structure,” Jean said at a recent press conference.
Police said the infants were sold to buyers in several cities across North Sumatra, as well as to buyers in Pekanbaru in Riau, and Aceh.
"Investigators are continuing to develop the case and are pursuing three additional suspects, identified only as X, Y and Z, who are believed to be members of the trafficking network," Jean added.
Police said the case came to light following a tip-off from neighbours who reported suspicious activity at a rented house on Jl. Pintu Air IV in Medan Johor district. Residents told authorities that a number of pregnant women were frequently seen entering and leaving the house.
Jean said initial information suggested that one of the suspects, identified only as BS, who was pregnant, was being held against her will at the property. However, when police raided the house, they found that the woman was not being detained but was awaiting childbirth at the rented house.
“BS had agreed to sell her baby to the syndicate for Rp 9 million. The syndicate planned to resell the baby to prospective buyers for Rp 20 million,” Jean said.
According to police, BS agreed to the arrangement due to financial hardship. She had been unemployed for the past two years and intended to use the money to cover the costs of processing documents to seek work in Malaysia.
Jean said the syndicate was primarily operated by HD, who instructed her domestic helper, identified only as HT, to scour social media platforms for potential buyers. Once buyers were identified, HD would contact them directly to negotiate prices.
Authorities said the babies were trafficked when they were only days old, with younger infants commanding higher prices. The syndicate typically sourced babies from pregnant women facing severe financial hardship.
The suspects persuaded these women that they would receive cash payments if they agreed to sell their babies. Police said HD also worked with a midwife to identify expectant mothers willing to give up their newborns.
The latest arrests come just months after Medan Police detained eight people for orchestrating a similar baby trafficking ring. In that case, eight suspects, identified only as PT, JS, MBS, AM, SR, MS, BDS and SSE, were arrested on Sept. 17 last year for allegedly trafficking at least eight babies since 2023. Police said the infants were sold for between Rp 10 million and Rp 15 million each.
During the operation, officers also rescued a three-day-old infant who was allegedly being offered for sale by his mother. Investigators said the syndicate also worked with midwives to identify mothers willing to give up their newborns, primarily targeting women experiencing severe financial hardship or those who were pregnant out of wedlock. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
