A Sydney man who allegedly left his wife and children stranded in Pakistan with no documents before returning to Australia by himself could face up to 12 years in jail.
The 29-year-old is accused of deceiving the victim about the purpose of the trip, telling her they were going to go to Pakistan to see her family.
The woman agreed, flying with their two children to Afghanistan in July 2023 before continuing on to Pakistan.
Australian Federal Police officers allege the western Sydney man retained control of the family's tickets, passports, visas and other travel documents and returned to Australia alone with the wife finding out two months later.
Operation Kisurra was launched in November after receiving a report from the woman with officers working alongside the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure she and her children were able to safely return home.
AFP officers arrested the man on Wednesday and charged him with one count of exit trafficking of a person from Australia by using deception.
The maximum penalty for the offence is a 12-year jail sentence.
AFP Detective acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias described exit trafficking as an insidious and often under-reported crime.
"No one has the right to force or deceive anyone to leave Australia, or to prevent them from returning against their will," he said
"We want victims to know the AFP is here to help them and that their safety and wellbeing is our primary concern."
The arrested man was expected to face Burwood Local Court on Wednesday.
