Italian man, 32, gets 8 years’ jail, caning, and S$9K fine in Singapore for trafficking Singaporean woman to Dubai
Man gets arrested in Singapore trafficking case involving woman taken to Dubai
Summary
An Italian man, Achraf Arjaouy, 32, was sentenced in Singapore on Oct 7 to eight years’ jail, six strokes of the cane, and a S$9,000 fine.
The man deceived a Singaporean woman with promises of marriage before forcing her into prostitution in Dubai, where she said she served up to 10 clients daily.
After returning to Singapore, the woman stayed in contact with him before cutting ties in March 2023 and filing a police report in October 2024.
SINGAPORE: An Italian man who lured a Singaporean woman to Dubai with promises of marriage has been jailed for eight years. Achraf Arjaouy, 32, was also ordered to receive six strokes of the cane and pay a S$9,000 fine.
The sentence was handed down at the State Courts on Wednesday, Oct 7, after he was convicted of human trafficking. Prosecutors sought 10 years’ jail, six strokes of the cane and a fine of at least S$9,000. The woman’s identity is protected by a court order.
Prosecutors described the case as the most serious human trafficking case handled by Singapore’s courts to date, Lianhe Zaobao reported (Oct 7).
He lured her to Dubai with promises of marriage
The woman met Arjaouy through a dating app in April 2021, when she was 30. He claimed to be an airline pilot from one of Qatar’s wealthiest families and said he wanted to marry her there.
The man persuaded her to fly with him to Dubai, promising to cover the costs. Despite her employer’s warnings, she resigned from her job and left Singapore with him on Apr 21, 2021.
Once in Dubai, Arjaouy told her she needed US$10,000 (S$12,800) to enter Qatar. Knowing she couldn’t afford the sum, he used the demand to pressure and control her, prosecutors said.
By late May, Arjaouy was pushing the woman into prostitution to raise the money. He allegedly created an account on an escort website, arranged customers and hotels, and later made her find clients herself. The money went to him.
The woman testified that she served between one and 10 clients a day, including during her period. She estimated she saw more than 50 clients in total and earned about 1,000 dirhams (S$350) per day. She stopped in September 2021 after contracting a sexually transmitted infection.
Returning home didn’t end the exploitation
The woman returned to Singapore alone on Nov 27, 2021, after a friend urged her to leave. However, she stayed in contact with Arjaouy.
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When Arjaouy visited Singapore in October 2022, he claimed he had a brain tumour and promised to make amends. She accepted his apology, but he later used her bank account to receive large transfers, turning her into a money mule.
She finally cut ties with him in March 2023 and made a police report in October 2024.
More charges are still pending
Arjaouy also faces 16 other charges, including cheating, possessing forged documents, and voluntarily causing hurt. These were stood down during the trial, with a pre-trial conference scheduled for Nov 5.
The case shows how promises of love can be used to gain trust before that trust is turned into a means of control. So anyone planning to travel overseas for a new relationship should maintain independent access to money, travel documents, and a way home, just in case something similar occurs or an emergency arises.