Indonesian 19 sentenced in baby trafficking ring to prison

An Indonesian court has sentenced 19 people to prison for operating a cross-border baby trafficking network that illegally sold at least 34 infants to buyers in Indonesia and Singapore. The verdicts, delivered on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in West Java, concluded a major trial that exposed a sophisticated syndicate active between 2023 and 2025.

The ringleader, 70-year-old Lie Siu Luan, received a seven-year prison term, the longest sentence among the group. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence. The court found her guilty of crimes for the purpose of exploitation, including recruiting caregivers, document forgers, and women to pose as biological mothers to facilitate the illegal adoptions. The remaining 18 defendants, which included one man and 17 women, were given sentences ranging from three years and four months to six years and seven months.

The network was uncovered after a father, Dani Hidayat, reported his newborn as kidnapped in April 2025. His investigation led police to the main broker, Astri Fitrinika, who had contacted him through a Facebook adoption group. Upon her arrest, authorities discovered she had procured many more babies. Fitrinika was sentenced to six...