Tinder ‘pilot’ who promised marriage jailed for trafficking Singapore woman into Dubai sex work

Tinder ‘pilot’ who promised marriage jailed for trafficking Singapore woman into Dubai sex work



Achraf Arjaouy, 32, was sentenced to eight years’ jail, six strokes of the cane and a S$9,000 fine for trafficking a Singaporean woman into sex work in Dubai. — TODAY file pic


Summary

• Achraf Arjaouy, a 32-year-old Italian national, was sentenced to eight years in jail and fined S$9,000 in Singapore for deceiving a Singaporean woman into sex work in Dubai under false pretenses of marriage.
• Posing as a wealthy pilot, Arjaouy exploited the woman, who was led to believe she needed to raise US$10,000 to marry him.
• Despite Arjaouy's defense questioning the victim's credibility based on her appearance, District Judge Eugene Teo found him guilty under Singapore's Prevention of Human Trafficking Act.
• Arjaouy also faces additional charges related to cheating.

First Published: Wednesday, 07 Oct 2026 5:10 PM MYT


SINGAPORE, Oct 7 — A man who posed as a wealthy pilot on Tinder and promised marriage to a Singaporean woman before deceiving her into sex work in Dubai has been sentenced to eight years’ jail and six strokes of the cane.

Achraf Arjaouy, 32, an Italian national, was also fined S$9,000 (RM29,000) today after being convicted of recruiting the woman by deception for sexual exploitation, Singapore-based media organisation CNA reported.

The victim, whose identity is protected by a gag order, was aged 30 to 31 when she met Arjaouy on Tinder in early 2021.


Arjaouy presented himself as a wealthy pilot from Qatar and, after what prosecutors described as a “whirlwind courtship”, travelled with her to Dubai in April that year.


While there, he told her he wanted to marry her in Qatar but claimed she first needed to raise US$10,000 as proof of funds before she could enter the country.

He then got her to provide sexual services to raise the money and collected her earnings each day.

According to CNA, the woman was revolted by the idea of sex work but agreed because she believed it was the only way she could marry Arjaouy.


She continued for several months before contracting a sexually transmitted disease in mid-September 2021.

She stopped engaging in sex work after that and returned to Singapore a few months later.

Her mother had contacted Singapore police for help in April 2021, shortly after her daughter travelled to Dubai.

Arjaouy was eventually arrested in Singapore in November 2023 over an unrelated offence.

During the trial, Arjaouy denied trafficking the woman and argued that her account was not credible because, in his view, a genuine trafficking victim would have behaved differently.

He also claimed her evidence was unbelievable “given her physical appearance”, arguing that she could not have successfully worked as a sex worker.


District Judge Eugene Teo rejected both arguments.

In dismissing the claim about her appearance, the judge said a person did not have to be particularly tall, fair or have a full head of hair to get by on their looks.

Arjaouy is bald.

The prosecution did not seek compensation for the victim because Arjaouy had no means to pay.

He was convicted under Singapore’s Prevention of Human Trafficking Act of recruiting a person by deception for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail, a fine of up to S$100,000 and up to six strokes of the cane.

Arjaouy also faces several other charges, largely involving cheating.

His lawyers, Joel Quek and Samuel Teo of WongPartnership, represented him at trial but later applied to discharge themselves from acting for him in relation to the remaining charges, CNA reported.