Indonesia-Singapore Baby Trafficking Ringleader Jailed For Seven Years

Indonesia-Singapore Baby Trafficking Ringleader Jailed for Seven Years Lie Siu Luan, the alleged mastermind of an Indonesian baby trafficking syndicate that smuggled dozens of infants, including several to Singapore, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of human trafficking by a court in Bandung, West Java. Lie, 70, who was also known by the aliases Popo and Lily, was convicted of coordinating a cross-border network that recruited babies, arranged forged adoption documents and facilitated the transfer of infants to buyers in Singapore and elsewhere in Indonesia. The court ruled that her actions constituted human trafficking carried out for the purpose of exploitation. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence, arguing that Lie played the central role in one of Indonesia’s largest recent baby trafficking operations. According to court documents, the syndicate trafficked at least 34 babies between 2022 and 2025, with about 12 infants sent to Singapore. Some babies were reportedly sold for between 200 million and 250 million Indonesian rupiah around S$14,500 to S$18,000. The investigation began after a parent reported a baby kidnapping in West Java last year. Police later dismantled the trafficking network, rescued several infants before they could be sold overseas and arrested 19 suspects, including Lie. Authorities said some babies rejected by overseas buyers were instead sold domestically to adoptive families. On the same day, all 19 members of the syndicate were convicted. Sentences ranged from three years and four months to seven years, depending on each defendant’s role in the operation. Several admitted their involvement but argued that the babies had been voluntarily surrendered by their parents and were not abused during the trafficking process. Indonesian authorities have described the case as one of the country’s most significant cross-border human trafficking prosecutions in recent years and said they will continue efforts to dismantle networks involved in the illegal sale and movement of children.