Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Authorities in Australia have seized the assets and earnings of a Melbourne couple after they were convicted of enslaving an Indian woman for nearly eight years. The seizure was carried out under the nation’s Proceeds of Crime framework following a lengthy investigation.
The couple, aged 61 and 58, were ordered to surrender the profits from the sale of their Mount Waverley property and pay a total of $140,000 in penalties to the Commonwealth. This decision followed the completion of a criminal assets inquiry led by the Australian Federal Police’s (AFP) Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT).
Back in 2016, the CACT had restrained the couple’s home under the Proceeds of Crime Act soon after slavery-related charges were filed. The property, valued at $1.4 million, was sold the same year. After clearing the mortgage and related costs, roughly $475,000 remained and was held in trust until the court finalized proceedings. That amount was officially forfeited in 2022.
In 2021, a Victorian jury found the pair guilty of possessing a slave and exercising ownership rights over her, both serious offenses under Section 270.3(1) of Australia’s Criminal Code. The victim, who had arrived from Tamil Nadu, India, on a tourist visa in 2007, was forced into domestic servitude without pay for eight years.
The woman offender received an eight-year prison sentence, eligible for parole after four years, while her husband was sentenced to six years, with parole possible after three.
In 2023, Australia’s Attorney-General authorized an ex-gratia payment of approximately $485,000 to the survivor as compensation. Soon after, CACT pursued additional financial penalties against the offenders for benefits gained through exploitation.
On October 9, the woman agreed to pay $100,000, and the man agreed to pay $40,000, in addition to forfeiting their property and accrued interest.
Stefan Jerga, National Manager of Criminal Assets Confiscation, Fraud, and Corruption, said the case demonstrated how effectively the proceeds-of-crime powers can disrupt and deter human exploitation.
“This outcome showcases the scope of CACT’s work in dismantling criminal profits and reinforces the value of Australia’s Proceeds of Crime Act in ensuring offenders do not benefit from unlawful activity,” Jerga stated.
Detective Sergeant Daisie Beckensall, from the AFP’s Human Trafficking Southern Command, emphasized the agency’s strong stance against slavery-like practices.
“Anyone found holding a person in servitude or engaging in human trafficking will face thorough investigation and justice,” she said.
Australia’s proceeds-of-crime system allows authorities to seize, restrain, and liquidate assets linked to illegal conduct — even without a criminal conviction. The confiscated funds are managed by the Australian Financial Security Authority and redirected toward national initiatives such as law enforcement, community safety, and crime-prevention programs.
Court files revealed that the victim’s ordeal began shortly after her arrival in 2007, when her passport was taken and she was forced to cook, clean, and care for the family’s children. Deprived of pay, freedom, and medical help, her health deteriorated over time.
In July 2015, she collapsed inside the couple’s home, weighing only 40 kilograms and suffering from severe diabetes and sepsis. Emergency responders rushed her to intensive care, where she was stabilised and later placed under long-term medical supervision.
Her relatives in India had repeatedly tried to locate her but were misled for years. During sentencing, the presiding judge noted systemic lapses that allowed her exploitation to continue unchecked despite immigration oversights and red flags.
