Indonesia court delivers verdict on group accused of selling babies for adoption in Singapore: report

In a significant move, an Indonesian court is all set to deliver its verdict on an alleged baby trafficking syndicate accused of illegally buying and selling at least 34 babies.

According to reports, prosecutors are now seeking up to a decade in prison for the defendants charged with trafficking babies within Indonesia between 2023 and 2025.

A 70-year-old woman accused of coordinating and planning the group’s actions is among 19 people who have been on trial since April.

The prominent case has underlined the persistent issue of child trafficking in Indonesia often driven by parents who sell their children.

Given the gravity of the current scenario ongoing, defendants are going to stay out of the limelight with some even striking a journalist who was taking their photo.

This case is the latest in a series of such cases that Indonesian authorities have been addressing, though many of the other cases involve babies being moved within Indonesia.

Indonesian police exposed a national baby trafficking network and arrested 12 suspects in February 2026. It is crucial to note that out of 19 defendants, 18 of whom are women have been escorted into court.

They will receive their verdict shortly. Notably, prosecutors are seeking up to 10 years in jail for a number of them. The defendants were seen covering their faces with their heads down as they left the courthouse in a van.

The court in West Java will reportedly deliver its verdict today on whether the defendants are guilty of human trafficking. It has been observed that the syndicate has been accused of suspected infant abduction from across West Java and bringing them to the city of Depok before illegally selling them for adoption.

This case has shocked Indonesia and Singapore for the first time, leaving adoptive parents realizing their children may have been trafficked. 

For their justification, they have argued that they did not understand their conduct was illegal and believed they were helping families. Additionally, the prosecutors are pursuing custodial sentences ranging from five to 10 years.