14 Indonesian babies trafficked to Singapore? Jakarta’s envoy has his doubts
West Java’s police say they have uncovered a baby trafficking syndicate and arrested 12 people, with Singapore targeted as a key market
Suryopratomo claimed he had not received any reports about the alleged trafficking ring when contacted by Tempo news magazine on Tuesday. “I don’t know,” he said in a brief text message. “What is the evidence of baby sales to Singapore? I cannot comment on something unclear.”
He did not believe it was likely that such a syndicate could operate. Citing Singapore’s strict immigration checks, he said it was almost impossible to smuggle infants into the country. “It seems unlikely. Entering Singapore is difficult,” he said.
Firstly, proper papers are needed. “If the baby uses an Indonesian passport, how would they bring them to Singapore?” Suryopratomo queried. The process of getting a Singapore passport was tedious and any of the passports the police had confiscated were unlikely to be genuine, he said.
Furthermore, even if the passports were valid, airport authorities would ask after the infants’ parents. “[Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoint Authority] will surely ask the perpetrators: ‘Why is the baby not taken back home?’” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, West Java’s regional police announced that they had uncovered an international baby trafficking ring, which had been operating since 2023. “It is estimated that about 24 babies have been traded,” the police’s public relations head Hendra Rochmawan said in a written statement.
The case came to light after a parent reported an alleged baby kidnapping to local police. Investigations led them to a suspect who admitted to trading the infants, according to an Agence France-Presse report.