A 45-year-old woman has been charged for her role in allegedly trafficking a woman and an infant child from Sydney to India last year.
The woman was arrested at Sydney International Airport on Tuesday.
Anti-Slavery Australia tipped off the Australian Federal Police last year which resulted in the arrest of a man in December last year. The arrested woman is his mother.
The investigation centres on allegations that a 27-year-old Lidcombe man used coercion, threats and deception to force his wife and Australian-born infant child to go to India against their will in March 2017.
The man was arrested in December and is currently before court facing human trafficking, general dishonesty and forgery charges, carrying a maximum penalty of 12 years imprisonment.
The AFP said, following the arrest of the man last year, investigators continued to gather evidence to substantiate further charges against his mother, who is also alleged to be involved in the offence.
The woman, from the north Indian state of Haryana, was subject to a border alert and was arrested at the Sydney International Airport while attempting to leave Australia.
She has been charged with organising and facilitating the exit of another person out of Australia.
The woman is due to face court on Wednesday where the police is expected to allege that the woman was involved in coercing the trafficked woman and her infant child to leave Australia in March 2017, and later destroyed the child’s passport to prevent their return to Australia.
The maximum penalty for this offence is imprisonment for 12 years.
AFP Detective Superintendent Dan Evans, Sydney Coordinator of Victim Based Crime and Cyber, said it is an uncomfortable reality for many that human trafficking can and does exist in Australia.
“Human trafficking can take many forms, but what is important is that these alleged acts are reported so that victims can get the help and support that is available. The AFP works closely with a range of NGOs, including Anti-Slavery Australia, so that these matters don’t remain in the shadows,” Detective Superintendent Evans said.
"They took away my daughter"
The arrested woman appeared before Sydney Central Local Court visa a video-audio link in Sydney. Outside the court, her son and co-accused said he wanted to see his daughter.
Her son and co-accused, who attended court for her first appearance, was thrown out after he interjected shouting: “She don’t know where the police station is. She don’t know where.”
Outside the court, he told SBS News his child was "taken away".
"I don’t know why have they separated my child from me.”
“First they took my child and now they aren’t letting me talk to my mother either. She is ill.”
"I want to see her [daughter]... At least let me meet the child.”
The woman has been ordered to surrender her passport and must report daily to police. She has been released on conditional bail and will appear in court on 19 September.
