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Police say a 44‑year‑old Ryde resident manipulated online immigration accounts and cancelled a woman's return flight, forcing her to remain abroad. He faces up to 12 years for coercion and up to five years for identity fraud. The case highlights the underreported crime of exit trafficking.
A 44‑year‑old man from Ryde has been charged with orchestrating an exit‑trafficking scheme that prevented a woman from returning to Australia after she had travelled overseas to visit relatives.
According to police reports, the accused accessed the woman's immigration account without authorization, impersonated her, and changed the login details, effectively locking her out. While the woman was abroad, the man allegedly processed the cancellation of her return flight, ensuring she could not come back home. Law enforcement launched an investigation in January after receiving a tip that the woman had been forced to leave Australia for Egypt.
Exit Trafficking Definition and Police Raid
Exit trafficking is defined as the use of coercion, threats, or deception to make someone leave a country against their will. After gathering evidence, police conducted a raid on the suspect's home in Ryde on Wednesday. Officers seized three mobile phones and a laptop, which will undergo forensic analysis to determine the extent of the online manipulation. The suspect now faces multiple charges.
He is accused of coercing, threatening or deceiving the woman to force her exit, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison. In addition, he is charged with dealing in identification information using a carrier service with the intent to impersonate another person for the purpose of committing an offence, a crime punishable by up to five years behind bars.
Police Warning on Exit Trafficking Signs
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Morag McGowan described exit trafficking as an "insidious" crime that is often underreported. She emphasized that no one has the right to force another person to leave the country and warned that education about the signs of exit trafficking is crucial. Indicators include traveling without a passport, lacking a return ticket or phone, or being unable to provide contact details on bookings.
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