Alleged Indonesian trafficking ring sending babies to Singapore being investigated: MHA, MSF

SINGAPORE – The Singapore and Indonesian governments are working together to review

allegations of babies being trafficked into Singapore

for adoption.

The Singapore authorities are also in touch with affected adoptive parents to explain the situation, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) in a joint statement on Jan 9.

Reports of the alleged trafficking ring sending infants to Singapore surfaced in mid-2025 after the Indonesian authorities detained about a dozen suspects in West Java.

The Jan 9 statement said the police and MSF have asked Indonesia’s police and Ministry of Social Affairs to share their investigation findings and to verify the circumstances surrounding the children who had been brought into Singapore for adoption. The police have also been helping their Indonesian counterparts in their investigations after a request from the Indonesian police in September 2025, added the statement.

The Straits Times reported previously that the Indonesian authorities had asked the Singapore police to verify information on three Singaporeans allegedly linked to the trafficking ring.

The statement said these investigations are important as child trafficking is a serious matter.

“It exploits young children’s vulnerabilities, violates their rights and separates them from their biological families for others’ personal gain or criminal activities. It also affects the children’s long-term well-being and development,” it added.

As a result of the ongoing investigations, there have been some delays in the processing of citizenship applications for the affected children, and MSF and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority have been engaging the adoptive parents.

MHA and MSF said: “We are keenly aware of the anxiety that the situation has caused to the adoptive parents, and are working to ensure that the cases are dealt with as expeditiously as we can, and to safeguard the welfare and interests of the children.”

Families who require financial support in the interim period can approach a social service office for assistance, the ministries added.

The Jakarta Post reported on July 18, 2025, that the West Java police had arrested 13 people suspected of trafficking dozens of newborn babies to Singapore through an illegal adoption network.

According to the report, the Indonesian authorities said that the syndicate had been operating since 2023, and was believed to have trafficked at least 25 infants, mostly to Singapore. Some were also said to have been sent to various cities across Indonesia.

An AFP report on July 15, 2025, said that

the case was discovered

after a parent reported an alleged baby kidnapping to the police, which led them to a suspect who admitted to trading 24 infants.

ST has contacted MHA and MSF for more information.