Law

East Java Police Bust Child Sex Trafficking in Surabaya

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 17, 2026•4 min read

East Java Police busted an alleged human trafficking ring sexually exploiting seven children in Surabaya and named married couple ADR and AA as suspects. Victims were forced to serve at least 10 clients a day; investigators seized evidence and charged the suspects under human trafficking articles.

Key Facts

East Java Police, through the Directorate for the Protection of Women and Children and Anti-Human Trafficking (Ditres PPA-PPO), uncovered an alleged human trafficking case involving sexual exploitation in Surabaya; the bust was announced at a press conference at East Java Police headquarters on Thursday (15/10/2026).
Police named a married couple with the initials ADR, a woman from Sidoarjo, and AA, a man from Sukabumi, as suspects. ADR allegedly recruited victims with job offers and ran operations, while AA allegedly found clients through an instant messaging app and connected them with victims.
Seven children were victimized; the exploitation allegedly took place at a hotel in Surabaya from February to July 2026. The victims were initially job hunting before a friend offered to connect them with someone who could supposedly provide work.
Victims were burdened with a quota of serving at least 10 clients every day for a month straight without a break, including during menstruation - equivalent to at least 300 clients a month.
The suspects allegedly ran a coercive payment scheme: payments were delayed if quotas were missed, with shortfalls accumulated into the following month. Profits from the practice were estimated at Rp540 million over six months.
Investigators seized evidence including 38 condoms, three mobile phones, screenshots of a WhatsApp group chat, Rp1,550,000 in cash, transfer receipts, and an ATM card under ADR's name. The suspects were charged under Articles 455 and/or 420 in conjunction with 421 of Law No. 1/2023 on the Criminal Code (human trafficking), carrying up to 15 years in prison.

Married Couple Named Suspects

East Java Police have busted an alleged human trafficking case involving the sexual exploitation of seven children in Surabaya. At a press conference at East Java Police headquarters on Thursday (15/10/2026), police announced two suspects: a married couple with the initials ADR, a woman from Sidoarjo, and AA, a man from Sukabumi.

East Java Police's Director of the Directorate for the Protection of Women and Children and Anti-Human Trafficking (Ditres PPA-PPO), Senior Commissioner Ganis Setyaningrum, explained the two suspects allegedly played different roles. ADR allegedly recruited victims with job offers and ran operations, while AA allegedly found clients through an instant messaging app and connected them with victims.

Victims Forced to Serve 10 Clients a Day

The case began while the victims were looking for work. One victim was offered by a friend to contact someone who could supposedly provide a job. The offer instead led to alleged sexual exploitation at a hotel in the Surabaya area, with the practice allegedly running from February to July 2026.

According to police, victims were burdened with a heavy daily quota. "Victims were forced by the suspects to serve a minimum of 10 people a day. For a whole month without a break, even - forgive me - while menstruating, they still had to serve," Ganis said. The quota equals at least 300 clients a month.

Pressure was also applied through a payment scheme. If quotas were missed, payments to victims were delayed and shortfalls accumulated into the following month. From the practice, ADR allegedly pocketed around Rp75 million a month, while AA reportedly received Rp50,000 per order. Total profits were estimated at Rp540 million over six months.

Evidence and Charges

In the bust, investigators seized evidence including 38 condoms, three mobile phones, screenshots of a WhatsApp group chat, Rp1,550,000 in cash, transfer receipts, and an ATM card under ADR's name. The suspects were charged under Articles 455 and/or 420 in conjunction with Article 421 of Law No. 1/2023 on the Criminal Code as adjusted by Law No. 1/2026, carrying up to 15 years in prison.

East Java Police urged the public to be wary of job offers promising big income without clear information about the type of work, the company, or the work mechanism. The public is asked to report to police immediately if they know of or suspect recruitment, harboring, or exploitation of anyone for profit. Investigators said they are still developing the case, including tracing possible other parties involved.