An Indian national and his wife have been taken into immigration detention for allegedly living illegally in Australia.
ABF said its field operations officers received information about “significant substantial transactions” which led investigators to a residential property in Griffith in New South Wales last week, where they located a 37-year-old Indian national and his 35-year-old wife living without valid visas.
The couple has been sent to immigration detention.
Officers also found a number of documents allegedly linked to illegal labour hire. ABF Field Operations Commander James Copeman said the ABF is committed to targeting illegal work in regional areas and particularly those involved in organising it.
Source: Supplied/ABF
“This activity is about protecting those people that are potentially being exploited. Illegal workers are often underpaid and poorly treated, and those facilitating their employment are making significant profits at their expense.” Commander Copeman said.
At the same time, ABF Field Compliance officers executed a second warrant at a business in Griffith and found a 43-year-old Chinese woman operating a business despite being in Australia illegally.
According to Department of Home Affairs statistics, during the last financial year over 15,000 people were found without valid visas, including 2,268 illegal workers.