NZ’s first human trafficker ‘did it simply out of greed’
A man has been found guilty of trafficking people into New Zealand – the first such convictions in the country’s history.
Faroz Ali, 46, has been found guilty in the High Court at Auckland of 15 counts of trafficking Fijians to New Zealand. He was also found guilty on 16 counts of aiding and abetting people to enter or remain in the country unlawfully.
He earlier pleaded guilty to charges of exploitation, including failing to pay workers minimum wage or holiday pay, as well as aiding and abetting workers to breach the conditions of their visas.
Ali will be sentenced on October 18.
The jury’s verdict was deemed a historical moment in New Zealand by chief executive of Stand Against Slavery Peter Mihaere.
‘‘It’s the right verdict and I think it’s a clear warning to potential traffickers that we will not tolerate trafficking here.’’
The court had heard how Ali lured Fijians to New Zealand with false promises of high wages and working visas.
Crown prosecutor Luke Clancy had told the court that Ali’s wife and sister-in-law ran travel agencies in Suva, Fiji, that recruited illegal workers to be brought to New Zealand and used by either by Ali himself, or his associate.
‘‘This was a chance to . . . earn money, and take that money back to Fiji for their family and their friends,’’ he said.
In return the agencies charged takers hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars, Clancy said.
What the Fijians were promised were working visas, wages of $17 per hour and free accommodation. In reality the they got paid little to nothing and were only granted visitors’ visas with no provision for work, the court heard.
Clancy said: ‘‘He did that all quite simply out of greed . . . They were exploited, left with nothing and had to return to Fiji ashamed.’’