Ali Rahimi hit with human trafficking charge after allegedly abandoning wife in Pakistan

Federal police allege Sydney tiler Ali Rahimi lied to his wife about their reason for travelling overseas, then abandoned her in Pakistan without her passport or visa.

A Sydney tiler accused of abandoning his wife in Pakistan without her passport or visa has been hit with a human trafficking charge amid allegations he enticed the woman overseas by lying about their travel plans then left her stranded.

Ali Rahimi, 29, was arrested on Wednesday morning, nine months after Australian Federal Police carried out a raid on his Auburn home, seizing passports, phones and travel documents.

Rahimi was charged with the Commonwealth offence of exit trafficking of a person from Australia by using deception, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years behind bars.

The charge is colloquially referred to as exit trafficking, a form of modern slavery in which women are tricked into leaving Australia and prevented from returning.

According to police, the woman made a report to the AFP in November 2023 claiming Rahimi had left her in Pakistan without documentation after the family travelled overseas together from Australia.

Ali Rahimi leaves Burwood Court on bail after being charged with coercing someone to leave Australia by deception in a practice known as Exit Trafficking. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

Auburn man Ali Rahimi was arrested on September 24, 2024. Pictures: Facebook

Police will allege Rahimi deceived his wife about the purpose of travel, telling her they were going to go to Pakistan to see her family.

The woman allegedly agreed to the trip, and they flew to Afghanistan in July 2023 for a holiday, then went to Pakistan.

While travelling, it is alleged the man retained control of the woman’s tickets, passports, visas and other travel documents - a matter Rahimi’s lawyer disputed during his bail hearing in Burwood Local Court on Wednesday.

Police allege after the family arrived in Pakistan, Rahimi told his wife he was going to Afghanistan to visit friends, however she allegedly found out in September that he had returned to Australia alone, prompting her complaint.

The AFP worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to have the woman safely returned to Australia.

In court on Wednesday, Rahimi’s lawyer, Lisa Dao, challenged prosecution suggestions her client was a flight risk, noting he had an established tiling business as well as family in Sydney.

She said he became aware of the police investigation in December last year, but had not fled the jurisdiction, and had even travelled overseas in July this year for a holiday, with the approval of federal agents.

The court heard Rahimi would dispute the charge, with Ms Dao claiming her client’s wife had control over the travel documents at various times throughout the trip and that Rahimi’s “intentions” in a series of messages obtained from his phone would be a key area of contention at trial.

It was alleged Ali Rahimi took a passport belonging to his partner while they were overseas, thereby not allowing her to travel back to Australia. Pictures: Facebook

Australian authorities worked to ensure the woman could safely return to Australia. Pictures: Facebook,

Police opposed Rahimi’s application for bail, claiming the case against him was a strong one.

Magistrate Jennifer Wong agreed to release Rahimi on strict bail which includes conditions that he not contact his wife or her family, report to police three times a week and surrender his passport.

Speaking generally about the issue, AFP Detective acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said exit trafficking was an insidious and often underreported criminal offence.

“Exit trafficking can involve a person using coercion, deception or a threat, to organise or facilitate another to leave Australia,” Detective acting Inspector Tsardoulias said.

“No one has the right to force or deceive anyone to leave Australia, or to prevent them from returning against their will.

“We want victims to know the AFP is here to help them and that their safety and wellbeing is our primary concern when we are investigating these matters. Each case is handled with compassion and great care, and the victim’s needs are always paramount.”