Police Name 12 Suspects in Human Trafficking Case Involving the Sale of Babies
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Directorate of Special Crimes for the Protection of Women and Children and the Eradication of Human Trafficking (PPA-PPO) of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) has named 12 suspects in a human trafficking case involving the sale of babies.
“Investigators have successfully named 12 suspects, along with evidence, and rescued seven babies who were victims,” said Deputy Head of Bareskrim Polri, Inspector General of Police Nunung Syaifuddin, at the Bareskrim Polri building, Jakarta, Wednesday.
At the same event, Director of PPA-PPO Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General of Police Nurul Azizah, said that this crime occurred in the areas of Jakarta, Banten, Yogyakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Sulawesi, Jambi, Bali, Kalimantan, Riau Islands (Kepri), and Papua.
She said that the 12 suspects are divided into eight intermediaries and four biological parents.
From the intermediary group, the initials of the suspects and their roles are as follows:
NH (female), sold babies to prospective adoptive parents in Bali, Kepri, South Sulawesi, Jambi, and Jakarta.
LA (female), sold babies in West Java, Central Java, Kepri, Jakarta, and Jambi.
S (male), sold babies in the Jabodetabek area.
EMT (female), sold babies in Banten, Jakarta, and West Kalimantan.
ZH, H, BSN (female), sold babies in Jakarta.
F (female), sold babies in West Kalimantan.
From the biological parent group, the initials of the suspects and their roles are as follows:
CPS (female), sold babies to NH in Yogyakarta.
DRH (female), sold babies to LA in Tangerang, Banten.
IP (female), sold babies to LA in Tangerang, Banten.
REP (male), IP’s boyfriend and the biological father of one of the babies, sold babies to LA in Tangerang, Banten.
Nurul revealed that the suspects sold babies through social media, such as Facebook and TikTok, disguised as adoption or child fostering.
“According to the suspects’ statements, this network has been carrying out illegal baby sales since 2024, generating hundreds of millions of rupiah,” she said.
The evidence seized in this case includes 21 mobile phones, 17 ATM cards, 74 documents, and one bag of baby supplies.
The suspects are charged with multiple articles, namely Article 76F in conjunction with Article 83 of Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Amendments to Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection.
Then, Article 6 of Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Human Trafficking and Article 455 in conjunction with Article 20 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning Domestic Human Trafficking.
The seven babies who were secured are currently undergoing assessment by the Ministry of Social Affairs.