Australian police have arrested a Nigerian-Australian woman who allegedly tricked students from Papua New Guinea into working as unpaid labourers on farms. She promised them free education but instead forced them to work to pay off fake debts.
Binta Abubakar, 56, was arrested on Wednesday at Brisbane Airport when she arrived from Papua New Guinea, where she had been living. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested her after a two-year investigation into her activities.
Police began investigating Abubakar in July 2022 after Queensland Police gave them information about suspicious activities. The AFP’s Northern Command Human Trafficking Team discovered that students who came to Australia expecting to study were “instead allegedly forced to work against their will on farms.”
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How the alleged scheme worked
Between March 2021 and July 2023, Abubakar allegedly brought at least 15 people from Papua New Guinea to Australia. These victims were aged between 19 and 35. She used her company, BIN Educational Services and Consulting, to offer what appeared to be genuine full educational scholarships.
Her company’s website claimed to provide a “holistic and modern approach to education, training, and employment.” However, police say this was completely false.
Once the students arrived in Australia, Abubakar allegedly forced them to sign legal documents. These papers said they owed money for “costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance, and legal fees.” The students had no idea these costs would exist when they accepted the scholarships.
Forced labour on farms
To pay off these fake debts, police say Abubakar forced the students to work on fruit farms in Queensland. They worked in areas including Lockyer Valley and Stanthorpe. Many of these jobs violated the conditions of their student visas.
The working conditions were harsh. Police say the students had to work “10 hours a day, seven days a week.” Even worse, Abubakar allegedly collected their wages directly from the farmers and kept the money for herself, claiming it went towards paying off their debts.
Police emphasise that “the farmers did not know of Abubakar’s alleged scheme.” The farm owners thought they were hiring legitimate workers through a proper agency.
Threats and intimidation
When students tried to resist or complained about their treatment, Abubakar allegedly threatened them in several ways. Police say she threatened to report them to immigration authorities, which could have led to deportation. She also allegedly intimidated their families back home in Papua New Guinea.
“She would allegedly receive the wages on the workers’ behalf and withhold them,” police explained. “If they refused to comply, Abubakar allegedly threatened to have the students deported or intimidated their family in PNG.”
The charges
Abubakar faces 31 serious criminal charges. These include four counts of trafficking in persons, 14 counts of deceptive recruiting for labour or services, and 13 counts of engaging in conduct that caused a person to enter into debt bondage.
The court granted her conditional bail, and she must appear in court again on 19 September.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer condemned the alleged exploitation. “The AFP is committed to protecting vulnerable foreign workers who are targeted by those driven by greed and profits,” he said.
He explained how these schemes typically work: “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 country of origin.
“If the conditions of that promise change, it can leave victims in an extremely vulnerable situation in a foreign country, where they are likely to have little financial or emotional support and face issues with language barriers.”
Telfer assured the public that police prioritise helping victims rather than punishing them. “The AFP can help people who are exploited. We are focused on ensuring the welfare of victims,” he said.
He encouraged anyone who suspects similar exploitation to report it to authorities.
