Suhendra's Child Trafficking Ring, the "Father of a Million Children," Exposed: Number of Child Trafficking Victims in 2021 Revealed

The Bogor Resort Police recently uncovered a child trafficking case under the guise of adoption, perpetrated by suspect Suhendra, a resident of Cibinong, West Java. Police are currently investigating the involvement of other parties in this child trafficking ring operating under the guise of the "Ayah Sejuta Anak" (A Million Children's Father) foundation.

Suhendra's modus operandi involved caring for pregnant, unmarried women. After giving birth, he sold their babies under the pretense of adoption. He received approximately Rp 15 million for each child adopted.

According to data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), there were 147 victims of child trafficking and exploitation in 2021. This number is similar to the previous year, which saw 149 child victims in 2020.

The highest number of child trafficking and exploitation cases occurred in 2019, reaching 347 children. Since then, there has been a downward trend in these crimes.

For information, from January to June 2022, KPAI received 1,358 complaints regarding child protection. These complaints involved 1,444 cases, with 981 cases falling under the child rights fulfillment sub-commission and 463 cases under the special child protection sub-commission.