JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Police in Indonesia are investigating an Instagram account that offered babies for sale, Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr.Comr.Muhammad Iqbal said on Sunday.

Police officers, along with a special team from the Social Affairs Ministry and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission or KPAI, had visited a location that was mentioned on the account, he said.

"When we arrived at the location, we found an office of a Catholic foundation that provides shelter for teenagers. We found no babies there and they could provide all legal documents related to the foundation," Mr Iqbal told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

The foundation, Yayasan Gembala Anak, denied that it was behind the Instagram advertisement. It also told the police that it was not involved in baby buying and selling practices as advertised on the social media account, Mr Iqbal said.

"The Jakarta Police's cyber crimes is investigating the account. If it is a prank, we would like to understand the motive behind it," he said.

The Instagram account with username @jualbayimurah posted photos of babies for adoption.

One of the babies was offered at Rp 10 million (S$1,000). The account provided a complete address and phone number of a location in East Jakarta where it said the babies were being accommodated.