indonesian authorities have detained 12 suspects following the discovery of an alleged baby trafficking ring that reportedly sent more than a dozen infants to singapore. A police official disclosed the details on Tuesday.

The inquiry began after a parent reported an alleged baby kidnapping, which led police to a suspect who confessed to trading 24 infants. According to Surawan, West Java police’s director of general criminal investigation, the suspect admitted to the illicit trade.

Perpetrators are accused of transporting the babies to Pontianak city on Borneo island before sending over a dozen of them to Singapore. Surawan stated,”Based on documents,14 [babies] were sent to Singapore.”

The infants involved were all under one year old, with ages ranging from three months to six months. Authorities successfully rescued five babies in Pontianak and one in Tangerang, a city near Jakarta. The dozen suspects were apprehended across Jakarta, Pontianak, and the Javan city of Bandung.

“They are a syndicate, a baby trafficking syndicate.They each have their own roles,” Surawan added,highlighting the organized nature of the operation.