Italian man, 32, who trafficked S’porean woman to Dubai for sex work, gets 8 years' jail & caning

An Italian man was sentenced to eight years' jail in Singapore on Oct. 7 for trafficking a Singaporean woman to Dubai and making her carry out sex work.

Achraf Arjaouy, 32, was also given six strokes of the cane and a S$9,000 fine.

He was previously found guilty on Apr. 22.

According to Singapore Courts' Integrated Case Management System (ICMS), the fine was not paid and he will serve an additional six weeks' jail by default.

Promised to marry woman

During previous court hearings, it was revealed that Arjaouy had met the victim on Tinder in April 2021.

Posing as a rich pilot from a wealthy Qatari family, he convinced the woman that he was going to marry her in Qatar after what was described as a "whirlwind courtship".

The woman agreed, and the pair then set off for Qatar via Dubai on Apr. 21, 2021.

Arjaouy told the victim she needed to show that she had US$10,000 (S$12,713) in order to enter Dubai.

When she revealed that she had insufficient funds, he then coerced her into engaging in sex work.

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 apparently his girlfriend, on several occasions.

Arjaouy has 16 other unrelated pending charges, including multiple counts of cheating, which will be dealt with at a later time, reported The Straits Times.