Aiesha Shah and her husband are the wealthy owners of Cake Merchant. The husband and wife duo got arrested with slavery and human trafficking charges.
Aiesha owns a Sydney Patisserie Chain, Cake Merchant, with her husband, Abid Shah. The couple has been charged with several human trafficking and slavery offenses. The investigation started when an allegation of mistreatment of a worker at the store was reported by Fair Work Ombudsman in March 2018.
The Australian Federal Police claimed that the duo committed several offenses related to servitude and human trafficking. The alleged victim was working for an excessive hour, and their movement was restricted. They were not paid for their work or time and did not have access to a bank account. The employee was also reliant on the Aiesha and Abid for food.
Who Is Aiesha Shah Cake Merchant?
Aiesha Shah is currently living with her husband and family in their seven-bedroom house in Denham Court, Sydney. The search warrants were executed for Shah’s Sydney home, and their businesses in Campbelltown, Liverpool, and Bonnyrigg.
Aeisha’s current age is 48 years.
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
Who Is Aiesha Shah Husband?
Aiesha’s husband is Abid Shah. The couple founded their cake store, The Cake Merchant, in 2006. Currently, their store has several locations including, Carramar, Liverpool, Greenacre, Bonnyrigg, and Campbelltown.
Abid’s current age is 59 years.
Abid Shah confiscated the employee’s passport, monitored overseas phone calls with family and friends, and threatened them with deportation multiple times.
Husband and Wife Arrested For Slavery and Human Trafficking
The husband and wife duo who own The Cake Merchant got arrested for human trafficking and slavery. One of the detectives on the case, Jeremy Staunton, revealed that the employees were overworked and were working without any payment.
Abid and Aiesha have been accused of seizing an employee’s passport, not paying the victim, and isolating them from the community. The alleged victim was also dependent on the couple for food. The authorities seized several financial documents and three mobile phones before arresting Aiesha and Abid.
The husband and wife were charged as part of an Australian Federal Police investigation into allegations of servitude and human trafficking at their patisserie chain in South-west Sydney, Australia, reports 7news.com.au.
The duo got charged with conducting a business involving the servitude of another individual. They received bail under very strict conditions, and they will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on December 14, 2021.