Binta Abubakar, 56, charged with human trafficking over alleged forced farm labour

A woman has been charged with trafficking tourists into “oppressive” slave labour conditions on Queensland farms, with some made to travel in the boot of a car and sleep in shipping containers.

A Queensland woman has been charged with human trafficking after allegedly forcing more than a dozen tourists into slave labour on fruit farms under the guise of a dream education and new life in Australia.

Binta Abubakar, 56, has been charged with 31 offences after allegedly making 15 Papua New Guinea nationals sleep in shipping containers, endure “oppressive” conditions and work for nothing on fruit farms while she took their wages.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege Abubakar lured them into the country with the promise of a full educational scholarship, but when they arrived forced them to sign legal documents stating they owed her money for their flights, visas, tuition and insurance.

Superintendent Adrian Telfer said some of the youngest students were teenagers, and police were investigating whether there could be more alleged victims.

“These are individuals who are young … they’re extremely isolated. They are pursuing an education, a dream to come here to Australia … and they’re placed into a position that they weren’t prepared for and didn’t know how to get out of,” Superintendent Telfer said.

“We have several living in a shipping container. We have information to suggest that they’re being driven long distances, some in the boot of a car … fairly oppressive conditions.”

Binta Abubakar is a dual Australian and Nigerian citizen who was primarily based in PNG, police say.

An investigation began in July, 2022, when the AFP’s Northern Command Human Trafficking Team received information from Queensland Police about a group of PNG nationals who had moved to Australia to study but were instead allegedly forced to work against their will on farms.

Police will allege Abubakar lured 15 people – aged between 19 and 35 – into Queensland between March 2021 and July 2023.

It is alleged Abubakar, who had been living in Central Queensland when in the country, promised the group a full educational scholarship through her business, BIN Educational Services and Consulting.

The website claims to offer a “holistic and modern approach to education, training and employment”.

But shortly after the students arrived in Australia, police allege Abubakar forced them to sign legal documents and agree to pay costs associated with their tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance, and other legal fees.

Police allege the debts were excessive, and Abubakar forced the students to work on fruit farms in Lockyer Valley and Stanthorpe to pay off what she claimed they owed her.

Binta Abubakar was charged by the AFP after she arrived at Brisbane Airport on a flight from PNG on Wednesday, June 11.

“We will allege the woman received wages from the farms on behalf of the students, but then withheld that money as repayments for their debts,” Superintendent Telfer said.

“We will allege the woman threatened to arrange for the PNG nationals to be deported if they did not comply with her instruction. She also allegedly threatened family members back in PNG.”

Superintendent Telfer said some of the students were working 10-hour days, seven days a week.

“They arrive here in this country and they are told that they have a certain debt which is well beyond their means of repaying.

“To repay that they’re forced into labour. Their dream was to come out here to study, but they find themselves working on farms.”

Superintendent Telfer said the producers where the students were working were not aware of Abubakar’s alleged scheme.

Binta Abubakar is escorted through Brisbane International Airport by AFP officers.

“We believe they did the right thing. They are after labour. And this individual and her company portrayed that they could actually offer that labour.”

Police will allege Abubakar has been living in PNG since 2023, and became aware that AFP officers wanted to speak with her about a year ago.

On Wednesday, Abubakar was arrested at Brisbane International Airport after flying back into the country.

She has been charged with 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.

Abubakar was granted bail in court on Wednesday and will face court again on August 19.

Superintendent Telfer said police were still investigating whether anyone else helped Abubakar, and whether the alleged scheme spanned interstate.

Police urged any other PNG nationals who believed they had been exploited or unfairly treated in similar ways to come forward.