19 Defendants Found Guilty in Indonesia's Baby Smuggling Case

An Indonesian court has found 19 defendants guilty in a case involving the smuggling of at least 34 babies, who were sold under the guise of adoption in Indonesia and Singapore. The court sentenced the alleged leader of the organized crime group, 70-year-old Lie Siu Luan, to 7 years in prison. The other 18 defendants received prison sentences ranging from 3 to 6.5 years, depending on their roles in the group. The crime group had obtained babies through illegal means in West Java between 2023 and 2025 and sold them to families in Indonesia and Singapore using fake adoption procedures. The investigation found that at least 34 babies were involved in the smuggling network, with 12 believed to be in Singapore. According to the prosecution, Lie Siu Luan played a central role in obtaining the babies, preparing fake documents, and organizing the sales. The other defendants were accused of caring for the babies, acting as intermediaries, and in some cases, posing as the biological mothers to carry out official procedures.