A man from southwest Sydney is in legal trouble for allegedly committing human trafficking by leaving his wife and their one-year-old child stranded in Pakistan. This situation came to light following an investigation initiated by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in February 2025, spurred by the wife’s complaint about being abandoned abroad without essential travel documents.
Reports indicate that the 45-year-old man persuaded his wife and child to accompany him to Pakistan in August of the previous year under false pretenses. Upon arriving in Pakistan, he is accused of taking possession of the child’s passport and deserting them at the airport. He then returned to Australia alone later that same month.
Further allegations include the man’s fraudulent actions in November, when he reportedly cancelled his wife’s Australian visa and retained the child’s passport. The wife was eventually able to make her way back to Australia in February 2025, at which point she informed authorities about the situation.
Collaborating with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AFP officials were able to assist in the safe return of the child, who is a citizen of Australia. Now, the man faces serious charges of trafficking a person from Australia through deception, which could result in a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.