Two Fijian sisters have now been charged on 17 counts for their alleged involvement of trafficking 17 Fijian citizens in New Zealand in 2014.

This comes after a successful joint operation between the Fiji Police Force, NZ Police and the NZ immigration led to the arrest of a 31-year-old woman of Nasole, Nasinu.

Police Spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirms that the 31-year-old woman has been charged with 11 counts of obtaining property by deception and one count of money laundering.

Her sister has being charged in absentia with five counts of obtaining property by deception and one count of money laundering.

Both women have been jointly charged with 17 counts of Human Trafficking in Auckland, New Zealand.

The two had been operating a travel agent business from Nina Street, Suva and are alleged to have placed an advertisement in one of the dailies about employment opportunities in New Zealand.

Naisoro adds these victims were allegedly exploited in NZ as the suspects organized and facilitated the exit of these victims from Fiji, and in facilitating the exit was reckless as to whether the said victims will be exploited.

The victims were allegedly exploited through forced labour to work in unfavorable weather conditions, less or no wages, living (accommodation) conditions as male and female victims had to share one room together.

It’s alleged the suspects who were notified of these conditions didn’t take any action and continued to send more victims to NZ.

Both suspects had remitted and received more than $83,000 to and from NZ from an accomplice Faroz Ali who was convicted in NZ for human trafficking offences.

He was imprisoned for nine years and six months.

The 31-year old suspect arrested in Nasole is expexted to be produced at the Suva Magistrates Court tomorrow with an arrest warrant to be filed for her sister who currently resides in Australia.