Human Trafficking Ring Targets Women in Indonesia for 'Ordered Brides' Scheme to China

A cross-border human trafficking syndicate is actively targeting young women in Indramayu, Indonesia, exploiting economic vulnerabilities through a "mail-order bride" scheme that sends them to China. The Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (SBMI) has officially reported the alleged trafficking case to the Indramayu Police, aiming to dismantle the network of local recruiters preying on young women.

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We came to the Indramayu Police to report the alleged TPPO with the modus operandi of ordered brides to China experienced by a resident of Indramayu.

Yunita Rohani, Coordinator of the Domestic Workers Department at SBMI, stated, "We came to the Indramayu Police to report the alleged TPPO [Trafficking in Persons] with the modus operandi of ordered brides to China experienced by a resident of Indramayu." The case involves K, a young woman from Jambak village, Cikedung district, who claims she suffered violence and exploitation after being sent to China under the pretense of a lucrative marriage arrangement and a decent livelihood.

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The entire process of the victim's departure to China, from upstream to downstream, ran very systematically. Field agents are strongly suspected of forging administrative documents instantly so that the victim could be dispatched immediately.

Yunita explained that the entire process, from recruitment to departure, was highly systematic. Field agents allegedly forged administrative documents to expedite the victims' departure. SBMI's analysis of the victim's and her family's accounts indicates that the process, methods, and objectives fulfill the legal definition of human trafficking under Indonesian Law No. 21 of 2007.

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Victims are lured with promises of work, a decent life, and even large dowries from foreign nationals.

SBMI data shows a recurring trend of the "ordered bride" modus operandi since 2020, with a shift in the syndicate's operational areas. Previously concentrated in Kalimantan, recruiters are now aggressively targeting agricultural regions in West Java, which have a high number of individuals seeking overseas employment. Victims are promised jobs, a good life, and substantial dowries from foreign nationals. However, upon arrival in China, the marriage status serves merely as a facade. Victims are reportedly sold, forced into domestic servitude without rights, subjected to physical abuse, and endure sexual slavery.

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Our hope is that this case is processed to its roots, so that there are no more victims.