TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Australian Federal Police arrested 43-year-old Surya Subekti on charges of running a sex trafficking ring. The ring allegedly recruited teenage girls from Indonesia to work in brothels in Sydney.

The court released Surya Subekti on Tuesday, July 23. He was granted bail on conditions including not being within 500 meters of a brothel or having access to the internet.

Subekti is an Australian citizen of Indonesian descent. He is accused of acting as a facilitator for the group and is charged with trafficking a 17-year-old girl from Indonesia.

Officers also arrested a woman suspected of luring teenage girls from Indonesia to study in Australia. The woman, who was arrested in Indonesia, also allegedly enrolled the victims in an educational facility in Sydney to extend their stay in Australia.

"They are further exploited to work in the sex industry instead of pursuing higher education," said AFP Commander Kate Ferry.

About 20 brothels in Sydney and the central coast of NSW are believed to be linked to the syndicate's activities. The victims, police say, are numerous.

Kate Ferry said at least nine women are believed to have been trafficked to Australia on tourist visas to work in brothels in horrific conditions. Seven have been removed from sexual exploitation rings in New South Wales, while a number of other foreign women have been identified as potential trafficking victims.

Police believe there are six more women in Jakarta who were being prepared for trafficking to Australia to work as prostitutes.

Investigations into this case were launched in December 2022, when the Australian Federal Police received reports that foreign nationals were arriving in Australia and being forced into sex work in breach of their visa conditions.

Subekti, from Arncliffe in Sydney's south, allegedly acted as a broker for the newly arrived teenagers. He worked with a woman in Jakarta suspected of recruiting victims.

Subekti was charged with one count of child trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

Appearing in Sydney's Downing Center District Court on Tuesday, Subekti was granted bail on the condition that he cannot contact or be accompanied by anyone under the age of 18, except his own children or if his wife is present.

He cannot be within 500 meters of a licensed brothel and cannot use or possess a cell phone or any electronic device that can connect to the Internet. Hearing is scheduled for September 20.

NEW CASTLE HERALD

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