Abid Shah is the owner of The Cake Merchant in Campbelltown. Learn more about the accusation of human trafficking.
Recently, a couple who was running a Sydney cake store has been arrested for human trafficking and slavery offenses. The news is circulating in the internet following their arrest.
Who Is Abid Shah?
Abid Shah is the owner of the cake shop who has been arrested following the charges for human trafficking. Though the news and media outlet have not mentioned his name, a video report from 7 news has shared his identity.
He is the wealthy owner of a Sydney patisserie chain. According to the company website, it was established in 2006 and has several stores within the state.
so the Cake Merchant in Campbelltown is owned by human traffickers
— Slim Jems (@TheBadBoyChapo) November 14, 2021
The stores are available in Carrammar, Liverpool, Bonnyrigg, Campbelltown, and Greenacre. Search warrants were executed for his home, and three businesses at Bonnyrigg, Campbelltown, and Liverpool.
He was caught along with his partner in his seven-bedroom home in Denham Court, Sydney’s southwest. They have been accused of confiscating the passport of immigrant workers, isolating them from the community, and not paying those workers who were reliant on them for food.
Who Is The Wife Of Cake Merchant Campbelltown Owner
The wife of The Cake Merchant owner at Campbelltown is named Aiesha Shah. She is a 48 years old woman who was taken into custody following the same allegations as her husband.
The investigation on them started in 2018 after Fair Work Ombudsman reported an allegation of mistreatment of a worker at the shop. The Australian Federal Police has accused them of committing several offenses related to human trafficking and servitude.
Abid and Aiesha Shah own The Cake Merchant, a string of successful patisseries in south-western Sydney. They have been charged with human trafficking and conducting a business involving the servitude of another. https://t.co/awVnjoR46i #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/gS1ZX1KzAE
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) November 15, 2021
Detective Inspector Jeremy Staunton said that the employees were made to work overtime, they were not able to have access to any bank account, their movements were restricted and they were working without any payment.
The Cake Merchant Owners Arrested For Human Trafficking
The owners of The Cake Merchant have been arrested for human trafficking. The police seized their phones and various financial documents before making the arrest.
The police reported that they seized the passports of the immigrant workers and threatened them with deportation. In addition, they also monitored their phone calls with their family members who were living overseas.
The couple, however, has received bail under strict conditions and is scheduled to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on December 14, 2021.