Australian police charge woman with trafficking students from Papua New Guinea
Brisbane, June 12 (UNI) A woman has been arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on charges of human trafficking after allegedly luring students from Papua New Guinea (PNG) to Australia with fake scholarships before exploiting them.
The AFP said that the 56-year-old woman, a dual citizen of Australia and Nigeria, was arrested on Wednesday upon arrival at Brisbane Airport on a flight from PNG.
She has been charged with 31 offenses, including four counts of trafficking in persons, 14 counts of deceptive recruiting for labour or services and 13 counts of engaging in conduct that caused a person to enter into debt bondage.
Australian federal authorities commenced an investigation in July 2022 when its human trafficking team received information from police in the state of Queensland about a group of PNG nationals who had moved to Australia to study but were instead being forced to work on farms.
The AFP alleged that between March 2021 and July 2023 the woman brought 15 PNG nationals to Australia on the promise of full educational scholarships.
Shortly before, or after, their arrival in Australia, the students were forced to sign legal documents agreeing to pay the woman for costs associated with tuition, airfares, visas, insurance and legal fees, placing them in debt.
The woman allegedly then forced the PNG nationals to work on farms across Queensland and withheld their wages to repay their debts.
If convicted, she faces a maximum prison sentence of 12 years for each count of trafficking in persons, seven years for each charge of deceptive recruiting and four years for each charge of causing a person to enter debt bondage.
UNI/XINHUA ANV ARN
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