Indonesian Baby Trafficking Ring Exposes Vulnerabilities in Singapore’s Adoption Processes
Singapore and Indonesia are collaborating to unravel a complex baby trafficking operation, raising serious questions about oversight and safeguards within the international adoption landscape.
A year before Indonesian authorities uncovered a large-scale baby trafficking ring in 2025, a Singaporean adoption agent received a disturbing offer: babies for adoption, complete with falsified documentation. In April 2024, Ms. Alice Kaveree, managing director of Lotus Child Adoption Agency, was contacted by a woman claiming to be an agent from Pontianak, Indonesia, who proposed supplying infants with fabricated DNA tests and birth certificates. The woman alleged she had already placed four Indonesian babies with a Singaporean agency and was actively working with others. Ms. Kaveree immediately rejected the offer and alerted the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) the same day.
While an initial review by MSF did not reveal any immediate red flags, the subsequent exposure of a wider trafficking network has prompted a joint investigation. On January 24th, an MSF spokesperson confirmed receipt of Ms. Kaveree’s email and stated that a review of relevant adoption cases “did not uncover discrepancies or suspicions to warrant further investigation or cancellation of any applications.”
However, in July 2025, Indonesian authorities announced the dismantling of a trafficking ring responsible for the sale of 25 infants since 2023, with 15 of those babies sent to Singapore via Jakarta. Senior Commissioner Ade Sapari, director of special crime at West Java police, revealed on January 21st that a key suspect in the operation is based in Pontianak and maintains an extensive network in the region. It remains unclear whether the individual who contacted Ms. Kaveree was connected to this syndicate, given the limited information available at the time.
The MSF spokesperson indicated that further details emerging from media reports in 2025, and specific names provided by Indonesian authorities, allowed the ministry to identify cases potentially linked to the ongoing investigation. “Together with relevant authorities, we are working closely with our Indonesian counterparts to review allegations, ensuring that the cases are dealt with as expeditiously as we can, and to safeguard the welfare and interests of the children,” the spokesperson stated.
The investigation has implicated three Singaporean adoption agents – identified only as Mr. T.N., Mr. P.T., and Mrs. E.G. – according to West Java police spokesman Senior Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan, who spoke on January 22nd. Their full identities will be revealed during the syndicate’s court trial in Indonesia, expected to begin by March. Both the Singaporean and Indonesian governments affirmed their collaborative efforts on January 9th.
Indonesian investigators have identified 26 suspects, encompassing brokers, caretakers, individuals posing as biological parents, and document forgers. The syndicate allegedly targeted vulnerable expectant parents through social media, offering up to 20 million rupiah (approximately S$1,500) for the surrender of their newborns. According to investigators, Indonesian agents would present prospective adoptive parents in Singapore with descriptions and backgrounds of the babies, often facilitating video calls.
These parents would then sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the costs and terms of the adoption. “Some babies were brought to Singapore (by the Indonesian ring), some others were collected in Jakarta by the Singapore sides (parents) who had been convinced and signed an MOU,” explained Mr. Hendra. West Java police reported that Singaporean adoptive parents paid upwards of $20,000 per child.
As of current reports, one of the 15 infants sent to Singapore has been returned to Indonesia, while the remaining 14 remain in Singapore. Indonesian authorities detained 12 suspects in July 2025 following the discovery of the trafficking ring.
[Image of Indonesian authorities detaining suspects: HERALOEBSS/X]
Singapore’s adoption process requires prospective parents to attend mandatory briefings and undergo a suitability assessment. They can then choose to adopt a child under state care or pursue a private adoption through an agency or personal contacts. According to the MSF website, adoptive parents are responsible for ensuring compliance with the laws of both Singapore and the child’s country of origin.
Adoption agencies are obligated to conduct thorough due diligence on the children’s backgrounds, and those found to be knowingly involved with children of suspicious origin will face consequences, stated Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming in Parliament on January 14th.
Recent legislative changes, including updates to the Adoption of Children Act (ACA) in October 2024, have strengthened safeguards. Biological parents are now required to sign consent documents before an independent third party, and these documents are more detailed and rigorous than before, according to senior lawyer Sandra Ong from Gloria James-Civetta & Co. Agencies are also subject to stricter regulations, including the public disclosure of their fee structures, as noted by Mr. Derek Choo, associate director at PKWA Law Practice.
Anyone suspecting wrongdoing in the adoption process, including the use of false documents, is legally obligated to report it to the authorities, facing potential fines and imprisonment for non-compliance. While these measures have enhanced the robustness of the system, challenges persist in cases involving foreign-born children, where verifying information from overseas authorities can be complex. “Some actions taken in the child’s country of origin may fall outside the immediate knowledge of Singapore agencies, and this can pose practical challenges when verifying documents or timelines,” Mr. Choo explained, adding that birth registration processes may be less stringent in some countries.
Several adoption agents have reported receiving suspicious inquiries from overseas individuals offering children for adoption with incomplete documentation or a refusal to engage with legal counsel. Ms. Kaveree, who primarily handles adoptions from Malaysia, emphasizes the importance of personally meeting birth mothers and verifying the authenticity of birth certificates issued by reputable government hospitals. Ms. Eulene Toh, head of operations at SteppingStones, highlights the agency’s practice of counseling birth parents to understand their motivations and the implications of adoption. While her agency is not connected to the current case, she notes awareness of couples whose Dependent’s Pass applications for children from Indonesia were denied.
For prospective adoptive parents, trust in their chosen agency is paramount. Ms. Melissa Anne Tan, 46, who adopted her daughter Kaitlyn from Pontianak in 2018, recounts inquiring with over five local agencies and relying on informal checks with Indonesian acquaintances to assess the legitimacy of Kaitlyn’s birth certificate. “I could only do what I could do. I wouldn’t know what a real birth certificate looks like,” she admitted. She felt reassured by the resemblance between Kaitlyn and her birth parents in photographs and by the birth parents’ presence in Singapore to sign an affirmation letter with the agency’s lawyer. Ms. Tan trusted that MSF would conduct thorough checks on the submitted documents for Kaitlyn’s Dependent’s Pass application.
A previous case in 2016 involved a teacher, known only as Mark, who became alarmed by the inflated costs associated with adopting a baby girl from Medan, Indonesia. He felt he was being presented with a product rather than facilitating a compassionate adoption.
Under the ACA, agencies are permitted to charge reasonable fees for medical expenses, legal services, and adoption-related services, but the definition of “reasonable” remains ambiguous. Ms. Kaveree noted that some agencies provide adoptive parents with two separate invoices: one for official submission and another, higher amount kept confidential. Ms. Toh affirmed SteppingStones’ commitment to transparency in all financial transactions.
Ultimately, the determination of whether a child should be returned to Indonesia will rest with the authorities, considering the specific circumstances of each case and prioritizing the child’s best interests, according to Ms. Ong. Madam Serene Goh, who adopted her daughter from overseas in 2014, advocates for thorough vetting by authorities in both countries before adoptive parents meet the children, emphasizing the potential pain for all involved if issues arise. “The child is innocent, but they’re being bounced around… that’s not right for the child and they are going to suffer very long-reaching circumstances.”
