Nine arrested in North Sumatra over alleged baby trafficking

MEDAN, North Sumatra – Police in Medan, in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, have arrested nine people and are searching for three others over their alleged involvement in a baby trafficking ring operating through illegal adoption schemes on social media.

Medan police Senior Commissioner, Mr Jean Calvijn Simanjuntak, said the suspects, identified only by their initials, had sold at least two babies for between nine million rupiah (S$680) and 25 million rupiah each.

The group was preparing to sell a third baby when police made the arrest.

“The suspects marketed babies through Facebook groups and TikTok. The syndicate operated with a well-organised structure,” Mr Jean, the Medan police chief, said at a recent press conference.

Police said the infants were sold to buyers in several cities across North Sumatra, as well as to buyers in Pekanbaru in Riau province, and in Aceh province.

“Investigators are continuing to develop the case and are pursuing three additional suspects, identified only as X, Y and Z, who are believed to be members of the trafficking network,” Mr Jean added.

Police said the case came to light following a tip-off from neighbours who reported suspicious activity at a rented house in Jalan Pintu Air IV in Medan Johor district. Residents told the authorities that a number of pregnant women were frequently seen entering and leaving the house.

Mr Jean said initial information suggested that one of the suspects, identified only as B.S., who was pregnant, was being held against her will at the property.

However, when police raided the house, they found that the woman was not being detained but was awaiting childbirth at the rented house.

“B.S. had agreed to sell her baby to the syndicate for nine million rupiah. The syndicate planned to resell the baby to prospective buyers for 20 million rupiah,” Mr Jean said.

According to the police, B.S. agreed to the arrangement because of financial hardship. She had been unemployed for the past two years and intended to use the money to cover the cost of processing documents to seek work in Malaysia.

Mr Jean said the syndicate was primarily operated by a suspected identified as H.D., who instructed her domestic helper, identified only as H.T., to scour social media platforms for potential buyers.

Once buyers were identified, H.D. would contact them directly to negotiate prices.

The authorities said the babies were trafficked when they were only days old, with younger infants commanding higher prices.

The syndicate typically sourced babies from pregnant women facing severe financial hardship. The suspects persuaded these women that they would receive cash payments if they agreed to sell their babies.

Police said H.D. also worked with a midwife to identify expectant mothers willing to give up their newborns.

The latest arrests come just months after the Medan police detained eight people for orchestrating a similar baby trafficking ring.

In that case, eight suspects were arrested on Sept 17, 2025, for allegedly trafficking at least eight babies since 2023. Police said the infants were sold for between 10 million rupiah and 15 million rupiah each.

During the operation, officers rescued a three-day-old infant who was allegedly being offered for sale by his mother.

Investigators said the syndicate also worked with midwives to identify mothers willing to give up their newborns, primarily targeting women experiencing severe financial hardship or those who were pregnant out of wedlock. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK