Italian national deceived victim with marriage promises before profiting from her sex work.
A Singapore court has sentenced an Italian man to eight years in prison after finding that he deceived a Singaporean woman into traveling overseas before exploiting her for sex work in Dubai.
Eight Years’ Jail and Six Strokes
Achraf Arjaouy, 32, an Italian national, was sentenced on October 7 to eight years’ jail, six strokes of the cane and a S$9,000 fine. He had been convicted in April after a trial on one count of recruiting a person through deception for sexual exploitation under Singapore’s Prevention of Human Trafficking Act. He faces an additional six weeks in jail if he does not pay the fine.
Victim Met Arjaouy Through Dating App
The victim, whose identity is protected by a gag order, met Arjaouy through Tinder in April 2021. Prosecutors said he portrayed himself as a wealthy Qatar Airways pilot and told her he wanted to marry her in Qatar. She agreed to travel with him to Dubai en route to Qatar, and the pair left Singapore on April 21, 2021.
False US$10,000 Requirement Led to Exploitation
Once in Dubai, Arjaouy falsely told the woman that she needed US$10,000 as proof of funds before she could enter Qatar. When she said she did not have the money, he pressured her to provide sexual services. Prosecutors said he took intimate photographs, created escort profiles, arranged customers and hotel bookings, and collected her daily earnings.
Woman Returned After Contracting an STD
The woman continued providing sexual services for several months before contracting an undisclosed sexually transmitted disease in September 2021, after which she stopped. She returned to Singapore two months later. CNA reported that her mother had approached Singapore police for assistance in April 2021 after her daughter traveled to Dubai.
Court Rejects Key Defence Arguments
District Judge Eugene Teo rejected Arjaouy’s claims that the woman’s account was unreliable and that her behavior was inconsistent with that of a trafficking victim. Arjaouy was eventually arrested in Singapore in November 2023 for an unrelated offence. He also has 16 other pending charges, largely involving alleged cheating, which will be dealt with separately.
The conviction highlights how deception within personal relationships can form part of human trafficking and sexual exploitation across borders. For Singaporeans, the case demonstrates the serious penalties available under the country’s anti-trafficking laws. For Indonesians and others in the region, it also underscores the risks that can arise when overseas travel, romantic relationships and false financial demands are used as tools of exploitation.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , CNA (2026)
Keywords: Singapore Human Trafficking, Achraf Arjaouy, Dubai Sex Work, Trafficking Conviction Singapore, Sexual Exploitation, Singapore Courts
