Australian Cheesecake Moguls Arrested
Published: November 26, 2021, 6:21PM
While cake shops are typically associated with joy and celebration, a certain dessert store has been met with a dark chapter.
Abid Shah and Aeisha Shah, the husband and wife owners of The Cake Merchant, a cake shop known for its cheesecakes, have five patisseries around Western Sydney. They were a successful duo, living in a $4 million mansion that houses seven bedrooms, a tennis court, and a tiled swimming pool. However, in March 2018, the police received a report on the shop owners, alleging that they were mistreating an employee at the cake shop. They were accused of enslaving a Pakistani employee, who had to rely on the owners for food.
The police raided the five stores, as well as searched the Shah’s home, having found mobile phones and financial documents. After further investigation, the two were arrested. “Mr. Shah has been charged with conducting a business involving the servitude of another person and trafficking in persons – entry into Australia – deception as to sexual services, exploitation or confiscation. Mrs. Shah was charged with conducting a business involving the servitude of another person.”
Although the victim was promised a better life in Australia, he was made to work excessive hours, had his passport confiscated, and was threatened with deportation by the couple. The victim’s calls to his family were monitored by Mr. Shah, and he was isolated from the community. He was verbally abused and not paid for his work, as he was not allowed a bank account.
With the revelation of this disturbing news, we advise anyone interested in visiting The Cake Merchant in the future to look for alternative stores, such as Sydney Cakery, Pasticceria Papa, or Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake. Despite this unfortunate situation, there are still plenty of great dessert shops to visit on your travels!
Read more about the Shah’s arrest here.