A man has been arrested in Indonesia after he allegedly sold his 11-month-old baby on Facebook behind his wife's back to fund his online gambling habit.
The father, identified only as 36-year-old RA, got just 15 million Indonesian Rupiah, the equivalent of around £730, which he then put into his online gambling accounts.
RA was caught after his wife,
the child's biological mother, returned to their home in Tangerang, West
Jakarta, and could not find her baby.
Tangerang City Metro Police
Chief Zain Dwi Nugroho told local media: "She pressed RA to share the
whereabouts of their child until he eventually confessed that he had sold the
newborn.
"She then brought him to
make a report at the Tangerang City Police Department."
After being interrogated by
detectives, RA admitted to selling his baby to lessen his debts.
But once he had the money, he
said he impulsively used the money online.
The buyers, identified only as
HK and MO, were also arrested for suspected involvement in a human trafficking
network.
HK and MO are being
investigated for suspected involvement in a larger human trafficking network,
though no details of this are currently known.
The Indonesian Child Protection
Commission condemned the shocking incident.
Its chief, Ai Maryati, told
local media: "It is worrying that [RA] is using his financial situation to
engage in activities that are being eradicated by the state and with children
being sold, he is also violating basic human rights."
It comes just weeks after
police uncovered a baby trafficking ring in Depok, a city south of Jakarta,
where they arrested eight people involved in the online trade of children.
Arya Perdan, the city's top
cop, said the children were being advertised on Facebook and were being sold
for prices ranging from 10 million to 15 million Indonesian rupiah (£490 to
£740).
The children were then taken to
Bali, where they were re-sold for as much as 45 million rupiah (£2,195).
Post a Comment