Indonesian police arrest 12 suspects and rescue seven babies in a nationwide online trafficking operation disguised as adoption.

JAKARTA: Indonesian police have dismantled a nationwide baby trafficking syndicate that used social media to sell infants under the guise of adoption.

Twelve suspects were arrested and seven babies rescued in the operation.

Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) Nunung Syaifuddin said the network had been operating across several provinces since 2024.

He stated the syndicate reaped hundreds of millions of rupiah in illegal profits.

Director of the Women and Children Protection and Anti-Trafficking Unit Nurul Azizah said the group exploited platforms like Facebook and TikTok.

She explained they marketed babies to prospective adopters by disguising transactions as legitimate adoption processes.

The criminal activities spanned at least 12 provinces including Jakarta, West Java, and Bali.

This indicated a wide and well-coordinated national network.

Of the 12 suspects, eight allegedly acted as brokers who sourced infants and facilitated sales.

The remaining four were biological parents accused of selling their own babies.

Authorities seized 21 mobile phones, 17 ATM cards, 74 documents and a bag of baby supplies.

These items are believed to be linked to the illicit operations.

The suspects are being investigated under Indonesia’s Child Protection Law.

This law carries severe penalties for offences involving child trafficking and exploitation.

Further investigations are ongoing to trace potential additional victims and track the syndicate’s financial flows.

The seven rescued babies are currently undergoing assessment by the Social Affairs Ministry.

 The Sun Malaysia