How much is that baby in the window? Singapore couples tempted by Indonesian trafficking syndicates

SINGAPORE, June 22 — Sarah and Adam were waiting nervously at a fast-food restaurant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to meet a baby they hoped to adopt.

When a woman suddenly walked in with a newborn, she gave the couple a chilling instruction: “Take now… bring this baby back now.”

Shocked by the lack of paperwork, the absence of their agent, and the total void of information about the child, the couple refused and left.

They later discovered their ordeal mirrored a massive baby-trafficking syndicate spanning Indonesia and Singapore, according to CNA.

Currently, 19 individuals are on trial in Indonesia. Court records reveal a ringleader, Lie Siu Luan, confessed to trafficking babies to Singapore, receiving up to S$21,600 (RM69,000) per child.

The syndicate allegedly used "adoption agents" in Singapore to find clients, selling at least 34 babies between 2022 and 2025.

For many Singaporean couples, the desperation to start a family makes them vulnerable. A global shortage of children available for adoption, driven by declining birth rates, has left many frustrated. This void is often filled by private commercial agencies that charge tens of thousands of dollars and operate in a grey area of legality.

Another couple, Nick and Gwen, faced a different kind of heartbreak. After flying to Vietnam to meet a baby, the birth mother vanished. A second attempt via an Indonesian agent ended just a week before the child was due to arrive in Singapore, with the agent claiming the adoption was suddenly prohibited.

“It felt like we were at the mercy of the agent,” Gwen recalled, noting the limited information and lack of transparency.

To combat these risks, the Adoption of Children Act 2022 has criminalised "undesirable practices," including fraud, undue influence, and payments for non-permitted purposes. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) now rigorously reviews documents for irregularities and conducts social investigations into all applicants.

Legal experts warn that some agencies take shortcuts to circumvent these rigorous tests, making the process seem "easier" while increasing the risk of illegality. "Don't take everything purely from the agent," warns specialist family lawyer Shaun Ho. "Do more research. Talk to the authorities, doctors, and lawyers."

Warning signs include unregulated agencies, misleading background information, and any suggestion that the process can be "expedited" through shortcuts.

Despite these horrors, adoption remains a beautiful path to parenthood for many. One parent, who successfully adopted a boy from Vietnam through an authorised agency, stressed the importance of transparency and disclosure.

“I think that adoption is a very beautiful process,” she said, urging others to normalise it — provided it is done through the right, legal channels.