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Seven years for ringleader
An Indonesian court sentenced Lie Siu Luan, 70, to seven years in prison for leading a 19-member baby-trafficking ring accused of trafficking at least 34 babies to Singapore for illegal adoption.
“Topic:Human Trafficking Tue 21 Jul 2026 at 6:06pm The group trafficked babies from Indonesia to Singapore for adoption”
Judge Gatot Ardian Agustriono said the court had legally proven Lie committed crimes “for the purpose of exploiting said person within the territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” as he read out the ruling at the Bandung District Court in West Java on July 21.
Prosecutors said at least 12 infants were sent to Singapore, with each baby selling for 200 million rupiah to 250 million rupiah (S$14,400 to S$18,000), and the sentence for Lie was lower than prosecutors’ demand of 10 years.
The Straits Times reported the other 18 defendants were also found guilty, with prison terms ranging from three years and four months to six years and seven months for roles including recruiters, caregivers, and document forgers.
The case began after a West Java resident named Dani Hidayat reported being contacted by someone offering to buy his baby after he joined a Facebook group for people looking to adopt children.
Sentences and alleged methods
The Straits Times said Lie was accused of coordinating recruitment, preparing forged adoption documents, and arranging for infants to be sent overseas, while prosecutors alleged the syndicate trafficked at least 34 babies between 2023 and 2025.
The Straits Times reported that the accused chief recruiter Astri Fitrinika was sentenced to six years and seven months, and fellow recruiters Djaka Hamdani and Elin Marlina received the same term after being found guilty of roles as recruiters and brokers.
In the same case, Lai Su Hua, accused of falsifying state documents related to adoption requirements, was also sentenced to six years and seven months, while the other 14 defendants who acted as caregivers were given prison sentences of three years and four months.
The Independent reported that prosecutors alleged the network trafficked at least 34 babies between 2023 and 2025, and said Lie’s seven-year sentence was shorter than the 10 years prosecutors had requested.
The Independent also reported that one of the main accused acknowledged arranging adoptions for at least four contacts in Singapore and said she was promised a minimum of about $14,000 or £10,300 for each baby.
Uncertain futures after verdict
After the verdict, prosecutor Teti Saraswati said the prosecution team would decide whether or not to appeal within seven days, while the Straits Times reported that eight babies bought by the syndicate but not yet adopted would be taken into the custody of the West Java social services agency.
“Indonesia jails 19 over baby trafficking ring to Singapore Court hands prison terms of up to 7 years after finding 19 defendants guilty of trafficking at least 34 babies to Singapore Saadet Gokce 21 July 2026•Update: 21 July 2026 ISTANBUL An Indonesian court on Tuesday sentenced 19 people to prison for their involvement in a baby-smuggling operation that trafficked infants to Singapore”
The Straits Times said the fate of babies already placed with adoptive families, including those in Singapore, remained unclear, and it quoted Tata Sudrajat of Save The Children Indonesia saying, “But poverty cannot be an excuse to perpetrate violence against a child, and human trafficking is a form of violence,”.
In a separate account, the BBC-linked reporting in WKRC said Lie accepted the seven-year sentence and did not appeal, and it described her as convicted July 17 of coordinating recruitment and sale of babies through a network of brokers.
The Independent reported that one couple told the BBC their child was believed to be among the babies trafficked by the West Java syndicate, and it quoted the father saying, “I sincerely hope that both authorities can come to a decision based on the best interests of the child,”.
The Independent added that authorities had yet to decide whether those in Singapore would stay with adoptive families or be returned to Indonesia, leaving the case’s next steps tied to decisions about the children’s legal status and custody.
