In 2024, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) intensified efforts to combat human trafficking, child exploitation, and transnational organized crime across South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Key Operations and Outcomes:
Debt Bondage and Servitude Charges: For the first time in South Australia, the AFP laid charges of debt bondage and servitude against a 38-year-old Colombian national residing in Kilburn.
Operation Kraken: This large-scale operation targeted an encrypted communications network used by criminal syndicates. It resulted in the arrest of 52 individuals and the seizure of 230 kilograms of illicit drugs, significantly disrupting organized crime activities.
Child Exploitation Cases: High-profile cases included the sentencing of a man from Humpty Doo to over 13 years in prison for child abuse offenses and a South Australian man to 22 years for soliciting explicit material from children.
Criminal Assets Confiscation: The AFP’s Criminal Assets Confiscation team successfully restrained or confiscated properties of convicted child abuse offenders, aiming to deter future criminal activities.
Additional Initiatives:
Human Exploitation Community Officers: The AFP deployed specialized officers across Australia to focus on victim-based crimes, including human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation.
Public Awareness and Reporting: The AFP received 382 reports of modern slavery and human trafficking in 2024, encompassing forced marriage, forced labor, sexual exploitation, and debt bondage.
These initiatives underscore the AFP’s commitment to disrupting serious organized crime both domestically and internationally, ensuring public saf
ety and security.
