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Herald Sun
2 days ago
- Herald Sun
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
2 days 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.
