A southwest Sydney man is facing human trafficking charges after allegedly leaving his wife and one-year-old child stranded in Pakistan.

The allegations arise from a probe initiated by the Australian Federal Police in February 2025. This followed a report made by a woman stating that her husband had abandoned her in a foreign country without crucial paperwork after the family had traveled there from Australia together.

It will be alleged the man, 45, deceptively convinced his wife and child to travel with him to Pakistan in August last year.

On arrival, he allegedly took the child’s passport and abandoned the pair at the airport, before returning to Australia by himself later that month.

It is alleged that in November last year, the man fraudulently cancelled his wife’s Australian visa and kept possession of the child’s passport.

The wife was able to return to Australia in February 2025, which was when she reported the incident to the AFP. 

Working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AFP investigators facilitated the return of the child, who is an Australian citizen.

The man is facing charges of trafficking a person from Australia by using deception, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years’ in prison.