A 70-year-old woman named Lie Siu Luan has been sentenced to seven years in prison for orchestrating a sophisticated baby trafficking operation that stretched from Indonesia to Singapore. Presiding judge Gatot Ardian Agustriono found Lie and her network of 19 accomplices guilty of exploitation, noting that the group specifically targeted infants, some as young as three months old. While prosecutors had originally sought a ten-year sentence, the court handed down a lighter term after Lie admitted to facilitating the illegal adoption of at least 12 babies, netting roughly S$17,000 for a single transaction in 2022.

The remaining members of the trafficking ring received prison terms ranging from three to six years, including Astri Fitrinika, who was sentenced to over six years. Authorities dismantled the operation last year following a kidnapping report in West Java, which led investigators to uncover a broader network that purchased infants from families facing financial hardship or those who no longer wanted their children. While some babies were smuggled abroad, those rejected by foreign clients were often sold domestically in cities like Jakarta. Following the verdict, the court ordered that the eight rescued infants be placed in the care of a local orphanage to ensure their safety and well-being.