An Indonesian court has sentenced the leader of a baby trafficking syndicate to seven years in prison after finding her guilty of exploiting infants through an illegal adoption network that operated between Indonesia and Singapore.
The ruling marks a major development in the Indonesia baby trafficking case, which exposed an organised group accused of selling babies across borders for profit.
Presiding Judge Gatot Ardian Agustriono convicted 70-year-old Lie Siu Luan of committing crimes for the purpose of exploitation. Although prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence, the court imposed a seven-year jail term.
During the trial, Lie admitted that she had sent at least 12 babies to Singapore. Court documents showed that she received about S$17,000 after arranging the adoption of one baby in 2022.
The court also convicted another defendant, Astri Fitrinika, for her role in the Indonesia baby trafficking operation. She received a prison sentence of six years and seven months.Police arrested the defendants last year after a parent reported that a baby had been kidnapped in West Java Province.
The investigation uncovered a wider trafficking network and led officers to rescue several infants before traffickers could sell them.
Investigators said the syndicate also sold babies within Indonesia after potential buyers in Singapore rejected some of the children. Authorities traced several of those adoptions to families in Jakarta.
Human trafficking remains a serious challenge in Indonesia, where authorities continue to crack down on criminal networks involved in child exploitation and illegal adoption schemes.
The Indonesia baby trafficking case has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of children and the need for stronger law enforcement.
Officials have pledged to continue investigating everyone connected to the syndicate and strengthen measures to prevent similar crimes across the country.
