TEMPO.CO, Bogor - Police apprehended on Sunday a father with the initials DD who has sold three out of eight of his children because he is extremely poor. A day after the arrest, police named DD as a suspect.

"DD is the husband of AS, who we captured already and is also a suspect," said head detective of the Bogor Police Department, Police Adjunct Comr. Didik Purwanto on Monday.

During his interrogation, DD confessed to receiving Rp2 million from a person who took his baby. The money was considered as compensation for his wife who carried and gave birth to the baby.

Just recently police discovered DD and AS sold three of their babies, one of which was handed over to AS’s cousin for a fee of Rp500,000 in 2009. The baby girl was the couple’s fifth child.

Two years later, AS gave birth to her seventh child; a baby boy who was sold for Rp2 million. Police tracked down this boy and discovered he is currently in Padang.

This year, AS gave birth to her eighth child, who was then let go for another Rp2 million. However, one of the couple’s neighbors said the police managed to "confiscate" this baby.

If found guilty, DD and AS will be charged with violating Law No. 22/2003 on child protection with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

M. SIDIK PERMANA