Sneaker smuggling plot comes undone after cocaine found in hidden package
Two Queenslanders have been jailed for their roles in a plot to smuggle cocaine concealed in sneakers into the Northern Territory.
The two men planned to import more than 100g of the drug using a shoebox filled with sneakers and food, the police claim.
Pictures released by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force show a white powder substance stuffed beneath the soles of a pair of sneakers.
The package was initially intercepted in June 2024 when ABF officers found the 131 grams concealed bag of cocaine in an air cargo shipment from Peru.
The AFP conducted a 'controlled delivery' of the cocaine at a parcel collection point in Darwin on 12 June 2024, where they arrested the two men who unwittingly attempted to collect the parcel – which had been substituted with another white powder.
One of the men, 35, was sentenced to three years in prison, and must serve 15 months before being released on a 21-month suspended sentence.
The other man, 36, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment, and having already served six months will be released on a 12-month suspended sentence.
Both men pleaded guilty to their charges in May last year.
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said the federal police had worked closely with the border force to stop criminals smuggling drugs across the border.
'While it might seem like a relatively small amount of cocaine, it has an estimated street value of more than $65,900 and equated to hundreds of individual street deals of 0.2 grams,' Supt Davis said.
'The AFP, ABF and our partners are committed to stopping illicit drugs from entering Australia and inflicting harm in our communities.'
ABF Commander Tracie Griffin said that the jailing of the two men showed law enforcement agencies' determination to stop drug smuggling and to disrupt criminal syndicates.
'If you try to profit from the harm caused by illicit drugs, no matter how you attempt to hide them, the ABF and our partners will find you and bring you to justice,' Cmdr Griffin said.
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Daily Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Woman charged with Australian human trafficking scheme
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. A woman allegedly responsible for the human trafficking and forced labour of 15 students from Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been arrested. The woman, a PNG-based Australian and Nigerian citizen, was arrested by Australian Federal Police officers at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday. It is alleged the 56-year-old lured 15 PNG students to Australia with promises of full educational scholarships between March, 2021 and July, 2023. The AFP charged the woman upon her arrival at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday. Picture: AFP Police allege that upon their arrival, the students were instead forced to sign legal documents to pay previously unmentioned tuition fees, airfares, insurance, visa applications, and legal fees. The students were then allegedly forced to work at farms across Queensland - at times in contravention to their visas - where their wages were withheld and used as payments for their 'excessive' debts, police say. The woman's arrest followed a lengthy investigation by the AFP's Northern Command Human Trafficking Team into a group of PNG nationals who were allegedly being forced to work on farms against their will after moving to Australia to study. The woman allegedly lured 15 students from PNG with the promise of full educational scholarships. Picture: AFP She has since been charged with 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. The 56-year-old appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, and was granted conditional bail to reappear in court on September 19. AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said the organisation was committed to protecting vulnerable foreign nationals from exploitation in such schemes. '(Alleged) victims of debt bondage and other human trafficking offences can be lured to Australia with a promise of a dream career or free education, things they may not have access to in their country of origin,' Superintendent Telfer said. 'If the conditions of that promise change, it can leave (alleged) victims in an extremely vulnerable situation in a foreign country, where they are likely to have little financial or emotional support, and face issues with language barriers. 'The AFP can help people who are exploited and is focused on ensuring the welfare of (alleged) victims.' Anyone who is being exploited or knows someone being exploited at work in Australia has been encouraged to contact the AFP. Originally published as Dual citizen charged with luring 15 PNG students in human trafficking scheme
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Students 'forced into slavery' with scholarship lure
A woman accused of luring Papua New Guineans to Australia with fake scholarships and forcing them to work on farms has been charged with debt bondage and other human trafficking offences. And in a separate case, a Sydney man has also been charged with human trafficking, accused of stranding his wife and child in Pakistan. The PNG-based woman, who is a dual Australian-Nigerian citizen, was arrested when she arrived at Brisbane Airport from PNG on Wednesday. The 15 PNG nationals who moved to Australia to study were instead forced to work against their will between 2021 and 2023, with some working seven days a week and up to 10 hours a day, federal police allege. The 56-year-old woman is accused of luring them to Queensland on the promise of education scholarships. The students, aged from 19 to their mid-30s, were allegedly forced to sign legal documents and agree to repay costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance and legal fees. She also allegedly threatened family members in PNG. The woman allegedly forced the students to work on farms across Queensland - contravening their visas - and received wages on their behalf as repayments for their debts. Australian Federal Police called the allegations disturbing. "These are individuals who are young, that's a point of vulnerability," AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said. "They're extremely isolated. They are pursuing an education, a dream to come here to Australia, opportunities that they don't get in their own country, and they're placed into a position that they weren't prepared for and didn't know how to get out of." Some of the victims were still in Australia and were being supported by the Red Cross, he said. The woman appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with 31 offences and was granted bail to reappear on September 19. The charges include four counts of trafficking in persons, which each carry a maximum penalty of 12 years' imprisonment, and 13 counts of debt bondage, which is a form of modern slavery. In the Sydney case, the AFP alleged a 45-year-old southwest Sydney man deliberately stranded his wife and one-year-old child in Pakistan. After they travelled together to Pakistan in August 2024, the man cancelled his wife's Australian visa and retained his child's passport, then returned without them, police allege. The wife returned to Australia in February and reported the matter to authorities, who helped the child also return. The man was arrested at a home in Austral, in southwest Sydney, on Wednesday and charged with human trafficking offences. He faces two counts of trafficking a person by using deception, and a single count of dealing with identification information involving the use of a carriage service. The man was set to face Liverpool Local Court on Thursday. Federal police urged anyone who had been through something similar to contact authorities. A woman accused of luring Papua New Guineans to Australia with fake scholarships and forcing them to work on farms has been charged with debt bondage and other human trafficking offences. And in a separate case, a Sydney man has also been charged with human trafficking, accused of stranding his wife and child in Pakistan. The PNG-based woman, who is a dual Australian-Nigerian citizen, was arrested when she arrived at Brisbane Airport from PNG on Wednesday. The 15 PNG nationals who moved to Australia to study were instead forced to work against their will between 2021 and 2023, with some working seven days a week and up to 10 hours a day, federal police allege. The 56-year-old woman is accused of luring them to Queensland on the promise of education scholarships. The students, aged from 19 to their mid-30s, were allegedly forced to sign legal documents and agree to repay costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance and legal fees. She also allegedly threatened family members in PNG. The woman allegedly forced the students to work on farms across Queensland - contravening their visas - and received wages on their behalf as repayments for their debts. Australian Federal Police called the allegations disturbing. "These are individuals who are young, that's a point of vulnerability," AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said. "They're extremely isolated. They are pursuing an education, a dream to come here to Australia, opportunities that they don't get in their own country, and they're placed into a position that they weren't prepared for and didn't know how to get out of." Some of the victims were still in Australia and were being supported by the Red Cross, he said. The woman appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with 31 offences and was granted bail to reappear on September 19. The charges include four counts of trafficking in persons, which each carry a maximum penalty of 12 years' imprisonment, and 13 counts of debt bondage, which is a form of modern slavery. In the Sydney case, the AFP alleged a 45-year-old southwest Sydney man deliberately stranded his wife and one-year-old child in Pakistan. After they travelled together to Pakistan in August 2024, the man cancelled his wife's Australian visa and retained his child's passport, then returned without them, police allege. The wife returned to Australia in February and reported the matter to authorities, who helped the child also return. The man was arrested at a home in Austral, in southwest Sydney, on Wednesday and charged with human trafficking offences. He faces two counts of trafficking a person by using deception, and a single count of dealing with identification information involving the use of a carriage service. The man was set to face Liverpool Local Court on Thursday. Federal police urged anyone who had been through something similar to contact authorities. A woman accused of luring Papua New Guineans to Australia with fake scholarships and forcing them to work on farms has been charged with debt bondage and other human trafficking offences. And in a separate case, a Sydney man has also been charged with human trafficking, accused of stranding his wife and child in Pakistan. The PNG-based woman, who is a dual Australian-Nigerian citizen, was arrested when she arrived at Brisbane Airport from PNG on Wednesday. The 15 PNG nationals who moved to Australia to study were instead forced to work against their will between 2021 and 2023, with some working seven days a week and up to 10 hours a day, federal police allege. The 56-year-old woman is accused of luring them to Queensland on the promise of education scholarships. The students, aged from 19 to their mid-30s, were allegedly forced to sign legal documents and agree to repay costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance and legal fees. She also allegedly threatened family members in PNG. The woman allegedly forced the students to work on farms across Queensland - contravening their visas - and received wages on their behalf as repayments for their debts. Australian Federal Police called the allegations disturbing. "These are individuals who are young, that's a point of vulnerability," AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said. "They're extremely isolated. They are pursuing an education, a dream to come here to Australia, opportunities that they don't get in their own country, and they're placed into a position that they weren't prepared for and didn't know how to get out of." Some of the victims were still in Australia and were being supported by the Red Cross, he said. The woman appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with 31 offences and was granted bail to reappear on September 19. The charges include four counts of trafficking in persons, which each carry a maximum penalty of 12 years' imprisonment, and 13 counts of debt bondage, which is a form of modern slavery. In the Sydney case, the AFP alleged a 45-year-old southwest Sydney man deliberately stranded his wife and one-year-old child in Pakistan. After they travelled together to Pakistan in August 2024, the man cancelled his wife's Australian visa and retained his child's passport, then returned without them, police allege. The wife returned to Australia in February and reported the matter to authorities, who helped the child also return. The man was arrested at a home in Austral, in southwest Sydney, on Wednesday and charged with human trafficking offences. He faces two counts of trafficking a person by using deception, and a single count of dealing with identification information involving the use of a carriage service. The man was set to face Liverpool Local Court on Thursday. Federal police urged anyone who had been through something similar to contact authorities. A woman accused of luring Papua New Guineans to Australia with fake scholarships and forcing them to work on farms has been charged with debt bondage and other human trafficking offences. And in a separate case, a Sydney man has also been charged with human trafficking, accused of stranding his wife and child in Pakistan. The PNG-based woman, who is a dual Australian-Nigerian citizen, was arrested when she arrived at Brisbane Airport from PNG on Wednesday. The 15 PNG nationals who moved to Australia to study were instead forced to work against their will between 2021 and 2023, with some working seven days a week and up to 10 hours a day, federal police allege. The 56-year-old woman is accused of luring them to Queensland on the promise of education scholarships. The students, aged from 19 to their mid-30s, were allegedly forced to sign legal documents and agree to repay costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance and legal fees. She also allegedly threatened family members in PNG. The woman allegedly forced the students to work on farms across Queensland - contravening their visas - and received wages on their behalf as repayments for their debts. Australian Federal Police called the allegations disturbing. "These are individuals who are young, that's a point of vulnerability," AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said. "They're extremely isolated. They are pursuing an education, a dream to come here to Australia, opportunities that they don't get in their own country, and they're placed into a position that they weren't prepared for and didn't know how to get out of." Some of the victims were still in Australia and were being supported by the Red Cross, he said. The woman appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with 31 offences and was granted bail to reappear on September 19. The charges include four counts of trafficking in persons, which each carry a maximum penalty of 12 years' imprisonment, and 13 counts of debt bondage, which is a form of modern slavery. In the Sydney case, the AFP alleged a 45-year-old southwest Sydney man deliberately stranded his wife and one-year-old child in Pakistan. After they travelled together to Pakistan in August 2024, the man cancelled his wife's Australian visa and retained his child's passport, then returned without them, police allege. The wife returned to Australia in February and reported the matter to authorities, who helped the child also return. The man was arrested at a home in Austral, in southwest Sydney, on Wednesday and charged with human trafficking offences. He faces two counts of trafficking a person by using deception, and a single count of dealing with identification information involving the use of a carriage service. The man was set to face Liverpool Local Court on Thursday. Federal police urged anyone who had been through something similar to contact authorities.
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
Woman who allegedly lured PNG nationals to Australia with fake scholarships charged with human trafficking
A woman who allegedly lured people from Papua New Guinea to Australia with the promise of fully-funded scholarships has been charged with human trafficking. Australian Federal Police allege the 56-year-old woman forced 15 people — aged between 19 and their late 30s — to work on farms against their will instead of receiving the education they had been promised. The woman, who had been based in PNG since 2023 and worked for what police described as a "legitimate business", was arrested by AFP officers when she got off a flight at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday. She has since been charged with more than 30 offences, including human trafficking, deceptive recruitment and debt bondage — the most serious of which carries a 12-year term of imprisonment. Police said the 56-year-old was granted conditional bail after appearing in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The AFP first began investigating the woman in 2022 following a tip-off from Queensland Police. It is alleged the woman brought 15 PNG nationals to Australia between March 2021 and July 2023 by offering fully-funded educational scholarships. Police allege the students were then forced to sign legal documents and agree to repay costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance and legal fees, which placed them in excessive debt. Rather than receiving the education they were promised, the woman allegedly forced the group to work on farms at different locations in south-east Queensland, including Caboolture and the Lockyer Valley. It is alleged she received wages on their behalf, which she withheld, claiming it was repayment for their debts. AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said the woman allegedly threatened the group with deportation if they did not comply with her instructions. "She also allegedly threatened family members back in PNG," he said. Detective Superintendent Telfer said police do not believe the business the woman worked for was involved. Detective Superintendent Telfer said police were aware of people being lured to Australia with the promise of a "dream career" or "free education" which they may otherwise not have had access to. He described the matter as "disturbing". "They are pursuing an education, a dream to come to Australia ... opportunities they don't find in their own country." Detective Superintendent Telfer said police and other support services were working with some of the 15 PNG nationals who remained in the country. He said police believe there may be more alleged victims. The woman's matter is expected to return to court in Brisbane in September.
