People smuggling arrest at Mareeba

A 31-YEAR-OLD Mareeba man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in an international people smuggling ring.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigators executed search warrants at a property at Mareeba and in the Newcastle suburb of Birmingham Gardens on Tuesday, where the two men were arrested.

They allegedly uncovered visa applications on a computer hard drive and seized mobile phones, computers and documents.

It is alleged the men were part of an international people smuggling network, where potential illegal immigrants attempting to enter Australia would be told they had to undertake work for a year without income in “debt bondage” to repay the criminal syndicate’s costs for their journey.

Both men have been charged with one count each of facilitated the entry of a group of five or more unlawful non-citizens into Australia, contrary to section 233C of the Migration Act 1958.

The Mareeba man was remanded in custody, scheduled to appear in Mareeba Court yesterday. Inquiries in relation to this suspected smuggling network are ongoing.

AFP Commander Crime Co-ordination Paul Osborne said the arrests were a reminder that anyone who attempted to profit from putting another person’s life at risk remained firmly in law enforcement’s sights.

He said the organisation’s focus was to “protect the lives and safety of these people, who people smugglers seek to take advantage of, and to secure Australia’s borders”.