Australia jails its first child trafficker after Sydney sex-work syndicate exposed
A 45-year-old Arncliffe man is the first person convicted of child trafficking in Australia after moving an Indonesian teenager to Sydney for sex work
An Arncliffe man who ran a crime syndicate profiting from human trafficking between Australia and Indonesia has become the first Australian ever convicted of trafficking a child.
The 45-year-old was sentenced to six years and five months in prison, with a non-parole period of four years and five months.
The Australian Federal Police say he facilitated moving a 17-year-old from Indonesia to Sydney to engage in sex work in 2024.
It is the first conviction of its kind under Australian law.
A 32-year-old Sydney man was also sentenced to two years and eight months for transporting the syndicate’s victim around Sydney for forced labour.
The case grew out of Operation Mirani, a two-year investigation that began in December 2022 after the AFP received intelligence that foreign nationals were being brought into Australia and forced into sexual servitude in breach of their visa conditions.
AFP human trafficking investigators worked the case alongside Australian Border Force, the Department of Home Affairs and the Indonesian National Police.
In March 2024, search warrants were executed simultaneously in Australia and Indonesia.
During the Australian raid, investigators located and removed a child from the Arncliffe man’s home.
The court found he had knowingly lodged false visa documents for the child so she could be brought to Australia for forced labour.
It found he took full control of her — dictating her movements, her working hours and her allowances according to the demands of her sexual services.
On the same day, Indonesian police raided the home of a woman identified as a recruiter for the syndicate.
They found multiple passports belonging to women who had been recruited and were due to travel to Australia, where they would have been at risk of exploitation.
The woman was arrested and charged with human trafficking offences in Jakarta.
Across the whole operation, 22 human trafficking assessments were carried out.
Seven victims were removed from harm and sexual exploitation across Australia and Indonesia.
AFP Commander Brett James said the outcome reflected the force’s determination to pursue organised crime groups that treated people as commodities.
“Human trafficking syndicates are sophisticated criminal enterprises that prey on vulnerable people for financial gain,” Commander James said.
“They deliberately exploit language barriers, migration pathways and economic vulnerability to facilitate and conceal their offending.”
Commander James said the guilty pleas were a significant outcome for the victims, who had helped investigators throughout a long and difficult case.
“These guilty pleas are testament to the courage of the victims and the persistence of investigators who worked relentlessly to uncover the full extent of the criminal enterprise,” he said.
Acting ABF Commander Tim Thorley said the investigation began with a single tip-off from a community member through the Border Watch program.
“Officers identified indicators of human trafficking and referred the matter to the AFP for further investigation,” a/Commander Thorley said.
“This demonstrates the important role community reporting plays in helping authorities uncover serious offences that might otherwise remain hidden.”
Based on a media release from the Australian Federal Police.
If you or someone you know is being exploited, help is available. The Support for Trafficked People Program provides confidential advice through Australian Red Cross on 1800 113 015. Anyone who suspects human trafficking, forced labour or exploitation can call the AFP on 131 237 or report via the AFP website. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).