Jakarta. For four-year-old Bilqis, a trip to the playground in Makassar, South Sulawesi, quickly turned into a nightmare. Kidnapped in broad daylight, she became the latest victim of Indonesia’s child trafficking networks.

Authorities in Jambi, 2,400 km from Makassar, recovered Bilqis after a tense, cross-provincial search. Beyond the relief of her rescue, the case highlights that child trafficking in Indonesia is rising sharply and that the networks behind it are increasingly structured.

Bilqis was first abducted on November 2 while playing tennis with her father at Taman Pakui. She was found on Saturday, Nov. 8, in a settlement deep in the forest, inhabited by members of the Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) community. Remarkably, she was in good health and showed no signs of trauma. For several days, she had been cared for by the SAD, who had come to regard her as their own.

To recover Bilqis, police had to negotiate for two nights with the community elders, from Friday, Nov. 7, until Saturday night, Nov. 8. The negotiations were patient and delicate, with officers pleading for her safe return. “We asked them to understand that the child is not theirs. If the child was not returned, we also would stay,” explained police sources. When Bilqis was finally handed over, the scene turned emotional: SAD community members wept, and Bilqis resisted at first, reluctant to leave the people who had cared for her.

Police investigations identified four suspects. SY, 30, abducted Bilqis in Makassar and advertised her on Facebook. NH, 29, acted as an intermediary, transporting the child to Jambi via Jakarta. AS, 36, and MA, 42, finally received Bilqis in Jambi. Investigators found that the suspects had prior involvement in illegal adoptions and multiple child sales. SY handed her to NH for Rp 3 million; NH sold her to AS and MA for Rp 15 million; and finally, the child was sold to a group in Jambi for Rp 80 million.

“NH admitted he had acted as a middleman three times before. AS and MA confessed to selling nine infants and one child through social media,” said South Sulawesi Police Chief Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro.

According to data from the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Ministry, child trafficking cases have nearly quadrupled over the past four years, rising from 13 cases affecting 27 children in 2021 to 50 cases involving 70 victims in 2024. Experts say these numbers likely represent only the tip of the iceberg.

The Bilqis case underscores this worrying trend. Lawmakers and police investigators point to a syndicate spanning multiple provinces, using intermediaries and social media to move victims. “A woman abducted Bilqis from a playground and sold her to a buyer for Rp 3 million ($180). She was later resold for Rp 30 million,” said Commission XIII lawmaker Mafirion. “It’s a full-fledged black market for children.”

The rapid transfer of Bilqis from Makassar to Jambi highlights the syndicate’s sophistication. Using both overland routes and digital platforms, they navigate Indonesia’s sprawling islands with alarming efficiency. Authorities warn that while Bilqis’s rescue is a success, the broader network remains at large.

The case has also stirred public concern. Parents, like Rini Saputri from South Jakarta, say they now watch their children more closely. “I used to let my kids play alone in the park. Now I never do,” she said. For many, the incident underscores that child safety in public spaces cannot be taken for granted.

The government is responding with urgency. Since 2023, the PPPA Ministry has strengthened community-based child protection programs aimed at detecting and preventing trafficking before it occurs. International collaboration, including with Interpol, is helping authorities trace cross-border networks and potentially uncover links to broader criminal operations, including organ trafficking.

Minister Arifah Fauzi called the crime “more than a criminal act; it is a crime against humanity,” urging communities to report suspected trafficking and child abuse. “Protecting children is a shared responsibility,” she said.