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31-year-old Italian Achraf Arjaouy was found guilty on Apr. 22 for trafficking a Singaporean woman to Dubai for sex work.
The Italian had come to Singapore in 2021, met the Singaporean woman via Tinder and persuaded her to travel to Dubai with him on the promise that he would marry her.
Once there, Arjaouy coerced her into engaging in sex work, which eventually resulted in her contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
He was arrested in Singapore in November 2023 for unrelated offences and charged in August 2025.
In November 2025, Arjaouy's bail was revoked after he assaulted his bailor.
Arjaouy elected to undergo the Apr. 22 court hearing in Italian and was aided by an interpreter.
Delivering the verdict, District Judge Eugene Teo said that two points raised in Arjaouy's defence required "emphatic" rejection.
The first of these pertained to how the victim behaved.
Teo pointed out that this argument drew strength from stereotypes on how "real victims" are expected to behave or react.
"Unfortunately for the defence, both history and experience have shown that the stereotype is... outdated and unreliable," the judge remarked.
Human beings react in a "multitude of ways... to any given situation", he added.
On the claim by the accused that, given the victim's physical appearance, it is "not believable" that she could have worked as a prostitute, Teo said, "Unfortunately for the defence, that proposition is also simply not true."
"We do not have to look far for an example, and this case shows us that one does not have to be particularly tall, fair in complexion, or even have a full head of hair to get by on one’s looks."
Teo then concluded that a review of the substance of the evidence, backed up by "incriminating WhatsApp messages", showed that the victim's claims were "entirely credible".
On these grounds, the judge found Arjaouy guilty.
The court will reconvene on Jul. 24, 2026, for sentencing.
No bail was offered, and Arjaouy remained in remand.
Under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, first-time offenders found guilty of human trafficking face a jail term not exceeding 10 years and a fine not exceeding S$100,000.
They are also liable to caning not exceeding six strokes.
Repeat offenders face a jail term not exceeding 15 years, a fine not exceeding S$150,000 and up to nine strokes of the cane.
Arjaouy arrived in Singapore in March 2021 and met a Singaporean woman on Tinder a month later.
Posing as a rich pilot from a wealthy Qatari family, the 31-year-old convinced the woman that he was going to marry her in Qatar after what was described as a "whirlwind courtship".
The pair then set off for Qatar via Dubai on Apr. 21, 2021.
Once there, Arjaouy coerced the woman into engaging in sex work by telling her that she needed to show that she had US$10,000 (S$12,713) in funds for entry to Qatar.
During his trial in August 2025, the prosecution accused Arjaouy of capitalising on the woman's confusion by subjecting her to "physical and psychological torture", committing acts of violence against her, and subjecting her to "humiliating and invasive sexual acts".
The woman was also subjected to degradation and threats of mutilation by Arjaouy, the court heard.
In mid-September 2021, the woman contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
The woman's mother went to the police in April 2021 when the woman asked for US$10,000 (S$12,713) shortly after arriving in Dubai.
The woman's ordeal ended in late November 2021 when she returned to Singapore.
Arjaouy came to Singapore in October 2022, and the pair got in touch again.
He was arrested in Singapore in November 2023 for an unrelated offence.
He previously posted a S$100,000 bail, but was remanded again in November 2025 after he reportedly assaulted his bailor, who was reportedly his girlfriend, on several occasions.
The Italian had come to Singapore in 2021, met the Singaporean woman via Tinder and persuaded her to travel to Dubai with him on the promise that he would marry her.
Once there, Arjaouy coerced her into engaging in sex work, which eventually resulted in her contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
He was arrested in Singapore in November 2023 for unrelated offences and charged in August 2025.
In November 2025, Arjaouy's bail was revoked after he assaulted his bailor.
Judge's remarks
Arjaouy elected to undergo the Apr. 22 court hearing in Italian and was aided by an interpreter.
Delivering the verdict, District Judge Eugene Teo said that two points raised in Arjaouy's defence required "emphatic" rejection.
The first of these pertained to how the victim behaved.
Teo pointed out that this argument drew strength from stereotypes on how "real victims" are expected to behave or react.
"Unfortunately for the defence, both history and experience have shown that the stereotype is... outdated and unreliable," the judge remarked.
Human beings react in a "multitude of ways... to any given situation", he added.
On the claim by the accused that, given the victim's physical appearance, it is "not believable" that she could have worked as a prostitute, Teo said, "Unfortunately for the defence, that proposition is also simply not true."
"We do not have to look far for an example, and this case shows us that one does not have to be particularly tall, fair in complexion, or even have a full head of hair to get by on one’s looks."
Teo then concluded that a review of the substance of the evidence, backed up by "incriminating WhatsApp messages", showed that the victim's claims were "entirely credible".
On these grounds, the judge found Arjaouy guilty.
The court will reconvene on Jul. 24, 2026, for sentencing.
No bail was offered, and Arjaouy remained in remand.
Under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, first-time offenders found guilty of human trafficking face a jail term not exceeding 10 years and a fine not exceeding S$100,000.
They are also liable to caning not exceeding six strokes.
Repeat offenders face a jail term not exceeding 15 years, a fine not exceeding S$150,000 and up to nine strokes of the cane.
Background
Arjaouy arrived in Singapore in March 2021 and met a Singaporean woman on Tinder a month later.
Posing as a rich pilot from a wealthy Qatari family, the 31-year-old convinced the woman that he was going to marry her in Qatar after what was described as a "whirlwind courtship".
The pair then set off for Qatar via Dubai on Apr. 21, 2021.
Once there, Arjaouy coerced the woman into engaging in sex work by telling her that she needed to show that she had US$10,000 (S$12,713) in funds for entry to Qatar.
During his trial in August 2025, the prosecution accused Arjaouy of capitalising on the woman's confusion by subjecting her to "physical and psychological torture", committing acts of violence against her, and subjecting her to "humiliating and invasive sexual acts".
The woman was also subjected to degradation and threats of mutilation by Arjaouy, the court heard.
In mid-September 2021, the woman contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
The woman's mother went to the police in April 2021 when the woman asked for US$10,000 (S$12,713) shortly after arriving in Dubai.
The woman's ordeal ended in late November 2021 when she returned to Singapore.
Arjaouy came to Singapore in October 2022, and the pair got in touch again.
He was arrested in Singapore in November 2023 for an unrelated offence.
He previously posted a S$100,000 bail, but was remanded again in November 2025 after he reportedly assaulted his bailor, who was reportedly his girlfriend, on several occasions.
