Man Arrested for Allegedly Selling Baby, Using Money for Gambling

Problem gambling can push many people into a range of different crimes. From fraud to acts of violence such as robberies or shootings, gamblers can go to great lengths to fuel their addiction. In some cases, unthinkable crimes are uncovered, and this is precisely what happened in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Infant Was Sold for 15 Million Rupiah
A man, who was likely suffering from a gambling addiction, was recently arrested after allegedly agreeing to sell his 11-month-old baby. As reported by CNA, citing local media outlets, the man was only identified with the initials R.A. The person allegedly sold his infant baby for 15 million rupiah ($955) and used the money to fuel online gambling activities, as well as for personal expenditures.

The arrest of the 36-year-old man came after the biological mother of the baby came back home from work and couldn’t find the infant. According to Zain Dwi Nugroho, Tangerang City Metro Police’s chief, the woman forced the man to immediately report his crime to law enforcement. “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, explained Nugroho.

Currently, gambling is illegal in Indonesia. There are no betting venues, bingos, casinos or poker rooms and online gambling is also prohibited. In fact, the country recently cracked down on payment providers as a way to decrease the illegal gambling sector.

Despite the country’s efforts, illegal online gambling remains an ongoing challenge, and many Indonesians fall victim to addiction to the activity. Equally as concerning is the growing number of cases where poor families are considering selling their offspring as a result of poverty. Such crimes raise further concerns about human trafficking.

The Infant Baby Was Found, Culprits May Face Lengthy Prison Sentences
After the 36-year-old man reported his actions to law enforcement, the child was located in a rental home in Tangerang. Besides the arrest of R.A., two other individuals, who purchased the baby off him were also detained. One of the individuals was identified with the initials M.O., while the other one had the initials H.K.

The law enforcement’s investigation uncovered that R.A. knew the two other culprits from a Facebook publication where they posted an advertisement that they were looking for a baby to purchase. R.A. allegedly sent a message to the individuals and agreed to sell the infant.

Self-reporting the incident doesn’t mean that the 36-year-old man will get out of jail free card. On the contrary, individuals in Indonesia who are found guilty of breaching the country’s child protection laws may face a penalty of up to 15 years in prison along with a fine of 300 million rupiah ($19,200).

A similarly severe is the penalty for human trafficking. If a person is convicted of such a crime in Indonesia, they may be imprisoned for up to 15 years and receive a fine of 600 million rupiah ($38,300).