A 56-year-old woman has been charged with multiple human trafficking offences after allegedly luring Papua New Guinea (PNG) nationals to Australia with the false promise of full scholarships, only to exploit them through forced farm labour and debt bondage.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested the woman – a dual Australian-Nigerian citizen primarily based in PNG – when she arrived at Brisbane Airport on a flight from PNG on 11 June, 2025.
Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer of the AFP’s Northern Command said the agency is committed to protecting vulnerable workers from exploitation.
“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 home country,” Det-Supt Telfer said.
“If that promise turns into exploitation, victims can be left isolated and helpless in a foreign land. The AFP is focused on safeguarding their welfare and bringing offenders to justice.”
The AFP alleges the woman brought 15 PNG nationals to Australia between March 2021 and July 2023, promising them fully funded education. However, once they arrived, the students were allegedly coerced into signing documents that committed them to repaying unexpected and excessive costs including tuition, airfares, visa applications, and legal fees.
To repay these fabricated debts, the students were reportedly forced to work on farms across Queensland – in some cases in breach of their visa conditions – with the woman collecting their wages directly from farm owners and withholding the money.
She has been charged with 31 offences, including:
- Four counts of trafficking in persons, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years’ imprisonment;
- Fourteen counts of deceptive recruiting for labour or services, with a maximum of seven years’ imprisonment; and
- Thirteen counts of debt bondage, with a maximum penalty of four years’ imprisonment.
The woman appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court, where she was granted conditional bail and is due to reappear on 19 September.
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