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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n The Australian Federal Police has revealed how it exposed an international sex-trafficking ring involving an unassuming supermarket manager, leading to a national landmark ruling.<\/p>\n Structured like a standard corporation, the ring had a CEO, head of HR, logistics lead and office manager.<\/p>\n These four executives were part of a sinister machine that trafficked women and girls from Indonesia and forced them into sexual servitude in Australia. The unravelling would lead to the first child-trafficking conviction in Australia, the AFP said. Police allege that several victims were involved in the ring, working across 20 brothels and under many criminal members, but their prosecution related to one victim who came forward.<\/p>\n Surya Subekti was the \u201cCEO\u201d who travelled to Jakarta to bring a 17-year-old girl to Australia. The self-proclaimed \u201cBatman\u201d oversaw finances, transport and accommodation. Day-to-day, he worked as a Coles and Krispy Kreme manager.<\/p>\n The offshore \u201chead of HR\u201d was an Indonesia-based recruiter who held a litany of passports belonging to intended smuggling victims.<\/p>\n Elton Valentino acted as the \u201clogistics lead\u201d, cashing in a $50,000 annual salary for his driving role.<\/p>\n Then there was the \u201coffice manager\u201d, 38-year-old Han Li.<\/p>\n \u2018I can no longer feel what it is like to be happy.\u2019<\/p>\n The 17-year-old victim<\/p>\n Police raided some 20 brothels across Sydney and the Central Coast in early 2024 that they say were linked to the ring. The 17-year-old girl was taken between three of them, working 12-hour days, seven days a week, for money never seen.<\/p>\n On Friday, 45-year-old Subekti and 32-year-old Valentino were jailed after pleading guilty to trafficking a 17-year-old girl, who earlier described to the court<\/a> how she had every movement tracked, lacked financial independence and was hospitalised due to work trauma.<\/p>\n Subekti was sentenced in the District Court to six years and five months\u2019 prison, with a non-parole period of four years and five months. Valentino was sentenced to two years and eight months behind bars with release on a good behaviour recognisance release order after one year and 10 months.<\/p>\n Now, AFP detectives have revealed how they worked with Indonesian authorities to track the men\u2019s transnational movements, untangle the international ring and rescue the 17-year-old girl, who had been coerced into fearing police.<\/p>\n Unmasking \u2018Batman\u2019<\/p>\n Whispers of an Indonesian sex-trafficking ring helmed in Sydney sparked years of painstaking evidence gathering.<\/p>\n In December 2022, the AFP officially launched Operation Mirani. Leads gained through work with agencies including the Australian Border Force and Indonesian police led them to one man: so-called \u201cBatman\u201d.<\/p>\n To identify Subekti, investigators sifted through swaths of data, mapping travel patterns, visa applications, accommodation leases and finances. It soon became clear that he played a lead role.<\/p>\n Once police pinned down the brothels, their task grew more complex.<\/p>\n They suspected, as is often the case, that the criminals would have brainwashed the women into fearing arrest due to their visa status and the nature of their work.<\/p>\n Detectives had to work hard to undo such manipulation and assure the women that they were legally protected from immigration offences that were committed under duress.<\/p>\n Officers recalled the confronting work and living conditions in the brothels, where victims were caught in a web of psychological control and financial dependence.<\/p>\n Through patient, trauma-informed communication, detectives gained the trust of a brave 17-year-old girl who was crucial to their prosecution. She revealed that she had signed a contract in Jakarta, only to arrive in Sydney in January 2024 to find her passport confiscated and pay withheld.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is now difficult for me to trust other people as I am fearful my experiences will be repeated,\u201d she later told a Sydney court in a victim impact statement.<\/p>\n \u201cI can no longer feel what it is like to be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n Proving forced labour, intent and exploitation is difficult as the bar is set exceptionally high.<\/p>\n Subekti\u2019s defence team capitalised on this, arguing that because the minor had signed a contract and travelled willingly, her involvement was \u201cnon-oppositional\u201d.<\/p>\n However, Judge Nicole Noman said that a child cannot legally consent to sexual exploitation in Australia and that the girl was exploited. Subekti had made a deliberate, financially driven move from running a visa business to a sex-work business. The judge noted that Valentino showed genuine remorse, while Subekti, whose \u201coffending was undoubtedly intentional and planned\u201d, did not.<\/p>\n One detective, granted anonymity to speak about the investigation, said that victims\u2019 experiences were often undermined.<\/p>\n \u201cProving that someone\u2019s not free to leave is that key element of the forced labour legislation,\u201d the detective said. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult because it\u2019s very subjective and up to the individual of what a reasonable person would believe.\u201d<\/p>\n A major turning point in the empire\u2019s collapse came when Valentino broke ranks. Judge Noman said that the child-trafficking charges would probably not have been established except that Valentino walked voluntarily into a police station and disclosed the offending, including the victim\u2019s age.<\/p>\n Related Article On the same day that Subekti was arrested, Indonesian police raided the home of a Jakarta-based recruiter who was found with several passports of women due to travel to Australia. Six women were prevented from leaving Indonesia.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, \u201coffice manager\u201d Han Li had more serious charges withdrawn before receiving an 18-month good behaviour bond and $1000 fine for immigration breaches.<\/p>\n Overall, as part of the larger Operation Mirani, seven victims were removed from sexual exploitation in Australia and Indonesia, and 22 human trafficking assessments were made. While police would like to see more sex-trafficking convictions, often their priority is saving the victims from further harm, and they work with non-government organisations to ensure continued support.<\/p>\n Detectives emphasised that sex trafficking does not usually fit the stigma of someone physically chained under the stairs. Instead, it often relies on psychological control, financial duress and complex manipulation \u2013 tactics that are difficult to spot \u2013 and to prove.<\/p>\n AFP Commander Brett James said that sophisticated human-trafficking syndicates prey on vulnerable people for financial gain by exploiting language barriers, migration pathways and economic vulnerability, echoing the investigation and prosecution difficulties.<\/p>\n \u201cThese guilty pleas are testament to the courage of the victims and the persistence of investigators who worked relentlessly to uncover the full extent of the criminal enterprise,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n As for people who feel trapped in sexual servitude, the Mirani detectives had this message: \u201cWe are here to help.\u201d<\/p>\n Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). Anyone affected by sexual, domestic or family violence can also access 24\/7, free and confidential trauma-specialist counselling through Full Stop Australia (1800 385 578).<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Sex-trafficking](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/61b9537474c8c56ecb95e31bdc31850cd126d0d70ca1c92be6ca44d3ad57c7bf.jpeg\")
Sex-trafficking syndicates are notoriously difficult to crack.Artwork by Matt Davidson<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bf938a83cab1a4c1a934527ccaadbbe097ae3a1d.jpeg\")
A passport of Surya Subekti\u2019s victim that was seized by police.AFP<\/p>\n![\"Surya](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783804044_292_5645e892b8161ccc06ee4c9f44a61d06bc7bdf0b.jpeg\")
Surya Subekti (left) outside Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney in 2024.AAP Image<\/p>\n![\"Surya](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783804044_0_1565b213e48c3e09544eef70b2111343590dc4b3.jpeg\")
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