It felt like we were at the mercy of the agent
Across the narrow waters between Indonesia and Singapore, at least 34 infants were sold to couples whose longing for children made them vulnerable to those willing to exploit it. A syndicate led by Lie Siu Luan turned the global scarcity of adoptable children into a market, charging up to S$21,600 per child while bypassing every legal and ethical safeguard meant to protect the young and the hopeful. Nineteen suspects now stand trial in Indonesia as Singapore tightens its adoption laws — a reckoning that arrives too late for the families already caught in the current, but perhaps in time for those still searching for a way home.
- A trafficking ring moved at least 34 infants across borders over three years, preying on couples desperate to adopt in a world where legal pathways have grown scarce and slow.
- Couples like Sarah and Adam were brought to the edge of illegal transactions — handed babies in fast-food restaurants with no paperwork, no history, no agent present — before instinct made them walk away.
- The syndicate recruited through private adoption agencies operating in legal gray zones, using agents to identify willing couples and suppliers in Indonesia to deliver children with minimal scrutiny.
- Singapore's 2022 Adoption of Children Act now criminalizes trafficking and fraud in adoption, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development has intensified document reviews — but legal experts warn some agencies are already finding ways around the new rules.
- Authorities and family lawyers urge prospective parents to treat urgency, missing paperwork, and discouragement of independent verification as definitive warning signs of illegal operations.
Sarah and Adam were sitting in a fast-food restaurant in Johor Bahru when a woman walked in carrying a newborn and told them to take the baby immediately — no paperwork, no agent, no background information. They looked at each other and left. What they had nearly entered was a trafficking operation that moved at least 34 infants between Indonesia and Singapore over three years, orchestrated by a woman named Lie Siu Luan, who confessed to running the scheme. She and 18 others are now on trial in Indonesia. Court documents show she received up to S$21,600 per child.
The syndicate fed on a real and growing desperation. Falling birth rates worldwide have reduced the number of infants available for legal adoption, creating scarcity that private agencies — many operating in legal gray zones — have learned to monetize. Some of these agencies became the syndicate's pipeline: agents in Singapore identified couples willing to pay, while suppliers in Indonesia promised babies with minimal delay and minimal questions. Nick and Gwen, another couple, flew to Vietnam to meet a child whose birth mother vanished before any documents could be signed. A subsequent Indonesian arrangement collapsed days before the child was due to arrive. "It felt like we were at the mercy of the agent," Gwen said.
Singapore has since moved to close the gaps. The 2022 Adoption of Children Act explicitly criminalizes trafficking, fraud, and payments outside legal channels. The Ministry of Social and Family Development now scrutinizes documents and conducts social investigations into all applicants. But legal specialists caution that some agencies have simply adapted, making illegal pathways appear smoother while steering couples away from proper oversight. Family lawyer Shaun Ho advises prospective parents to verify everything independently — consult authorities, doctors, and lawyers, and treat any agent who promises shortcuts as a warning sign rather than a solution.
The markers of these operations are now clearly mapped: unregulated agencies, missing paperwork, pressure to move quickly, agents who discourage questions. For couples who navigate the process legally and with full transparency, adoption remains a genuine and beautiful path. The challenge is ensuring that longing does not become the very thing that makes families prey.
Sarah and Adam sat across from each other at a fast-food restaurant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, their hearts racing. They were there to meet a newborn they believed they were adopting. When a woman walked through the door carrying an infant, she delivered instructions that would later seem like a warning they almost missed: take the baby now, bring it back to Singapore immediately. No paperwork. No agent present. No information about the child's background or medical history. The couple looked at each other and walked out.
What they had nearly become entangled in was far larger than a single transaction gone wrong. They had stumbled into the outer edges of a trafficking operation that had moved at least 34 infants across borders between Indonesia and Singapore over three years. The ringleader, a woman named Lie Siu Luan, had confessed to orchestrating the scheme. She and 18 others now face trial in Indonesian courts. Court documents show she received payments of up to S$21,600—roughly RM69,000—for each child placed with Singaporean couples.
The operation exploited a particular vulnerability: the desperation of couples unable to have biological children. Globally, birth rates have fallen sharply, shrinking the pool of infants available for legal adoption. This scarcity has created a market. Private agencies, many operating in legal gray zones, charge tens of thousands of dollars to connect hopeful parents with children. Some of these agencies became the syndicate's recruiting ground. Agents in Singapore identified couples, assessed their willingness to pay, and connected them with suppliers in Indonesia who promised to deliver babies with minimal delay and minimal questions.
Nick and Gwen experienced a different version of the same trap. They flew to Vietnam to meet a baby they believed they would adopt. The birth mother disappeared before any paperwork could be signed. They tried again through an Indonesian agent, but the arrangement collapsed just days before the child was scheduled to arrive in Singapore. The agent offered no explanation, no recourse, no transparency. "It felt like we were at the mercy of the agent," Gwen said later, describing the helplessness of having invested emotionally and financially in a process controlled entirely by someone else.
Singapore's government has moved to tighten the system. The Adoption of Children Act, passed in 2022, now explicitly criminalizes trafficking, fraud, undue influence, and payments made outside legal channels. The Ministry of Social and Family Development now scrutinizes every document for irregularities and conducts social investigations into all applicants. But legal specialists warn that some agencies have simply learned to work around these safeguards, making the process appear easier while pushing couples toward illegal pathways. Family lawyer Shaun Ho urges prospective parents to verify everything independently: speak with authorities, consult doctors and lawyers, and distrust any agent who suggests shortcuts or expedited timelines.
The red flags are now well documented. Unregulated agencies. Vague or missing background information about a child. Pressure to move quickly. Absence of proper paperwork. Agents who discourage questions or independent verification. These are the markers of operations like the one Sarah and Adam narrowly avoided.
Yet adoption itself remains, for many families, a genuine path to parenthood and a child to a home. One woman who successfully adopted a boy from Vietnam through an authorized agency spoke of the beauty of the process—but only when conducted legally, with full transparency and proper oversight. The challenge now is ensuring that couples desperate to become parents can access that beauty without becoming prey.
Citações Notáveis
It felt like we were at the mercy of the agent, with limited information and lack of transparency.— Gwen, a couple who attempted adoption through an Indonesian agent
Don't take everything purely from the agent. Do more research. Talk to the authorities, doctors, and lawyers.— Shaun Ho, family lawyer specializing in adoption law
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why were these couples so vulnerable to this kind of scheme in the first place?
Because they wanted something they couldn't get through normal channels. Fewer babies are available for adoption globally—birth rates have dropped. That scarcity creates desperation, and desperation makes people willing to take risks they otherwise wouldn't.
But surely there are legal adoption processes in place?
There are, and Singapore has strengthened them significantly. But legal processes are slow, expensive, and uncertain. They require extensive documentation, background checks, social investigations. An illegal agent can promise to bypass all that—faster, simpler, cheaper. For a couple who have been waiting years, that promise is intoxicating.
What made Sarah and Adam different? Why did they walk away?
They noticed something was wrong immediately. No paperwork. No agent present. A stranger handing them a baby with instructions to leave. It was too raw, too exposed. They trusted their instinct that something was fundamentally off.
And the others, like Nick and Gwen—what happened to them?
They got further into the process before it collapsed. They had already invested emotionally and financially. When things fell apart, they had no recourse, no explanation, nowhere to turn. That's the real cruelty of it—the couples are left holding the loss.
How does Singapore prevent this now?
Stricter document review, social investigations, criminalization of trafficking and fraud. But the experts are honest: some agencies have just learned to hide better. The system is stronger, but it's not foolproof. Couples still need to do their own verification—talk to lawyers, doctors, authorities. Don't trust the agent alone.
Is adoption still a viable path for people who want children?
Yes, but only through the right channels. One woman who adopted legally said it was beautiful—but that beauty depends entirely on doing it the right way, with full transparency and proper oversight. The process itself isn't the problem. The shortcuts are.