Foreign nationals have been linked to sex work, money laundering and human trafficking while enrolled at an embattled Perth training organisation on international student visas.
The evidence has come to light alongside that of a bitter court case and a number of complaints to the national regulator, revealing the murky underworld and high stakes of WA's $1.4 billion international student market.
The Australian Institute of Commerce and Technology delivers high school VET certificates as well as certificates in business, English and IT to international students.
In June, national regulator the Australian Skills Quality Authority stopped AICT from teaching more than 1100 WA high school students after finding it was delivering the courses out of the scope of its registration.
The school's chief executive Hong Fu blamed an "administrative error" that was "entirely out of character" and granted refunds to all schools, which have now sought alternative placements for students.
In August the regulator cancelled AICT's registration altogether but AICT appealed to the Australian Administrative Tribunal for a review.
In September the tribunal granted an unconditional stay of deregistration, pending the review, so AICT can continue all activities, including teaching and enrolling international and domestic students.
WAtoday has now seen government documentation regarding three former AICT students' criminal activities while on student visas.
One Malaysian 'student' laundered $7 million overseas in three months, the WA Police Proceeds of Crime squad alleged this year in a statement of material facts after laying charges.
They said she organised tourist visas for other Malaysians, who police found living with up to six people per room in rental properties in Heathridge and Wanneroo, working picking cherry tomatoes for $6 per day, with her keeping a percentage of their pay.
An investigator said she forfeited nearly $80,000 cash to the crown and voluntarily repatriated to Malaysia in exchange for having charges withdrawn. Australian border protection documents say she was found not to be a genuine student. An arrest warrant is outstanding for her business partner.
Another AICT 'student' from China had her visa cancelled after immigration agents found her working in the sex trade in 2015; a Vietnamese 'student' had her visa cancelled after agents found her at an Innaloo brothel in 2014. Documentation stated she had never attended school.
Student visa holders in Australia are allowed to work up to 40 hours a fortnight while courses are in session, and while the National Code of Practice for providers does require attendance monitoring, it also grants exceptions for providers who implement an approved "course progress policy".
AICT chief executive Hong Fu is confident AICT will be able to demonstrate compliance, saying AICT was not required to monitor class attendance as it monitored and recorded course progress according to this code.
He said intervention strategies were activated for students who failed to meet course progress requirements.
AICT did not confirm the records of the students who were involved in criminal activity, but Mr Fu said the provider had successfully trained thousands of law-abiding international students for 20 years.
"AICT clearly had no knowledge of the illegal activities of the three students ... they will no doubt be dealt with by the relevant authorities," he said.
"In no way would AICT ever encourage or accept any such behaviour.
"What a student does in their spare time is not the responsibility of the college. It is not within AICT's control.
"AICT is responsible for the delivery of quality training and to provide a safe environment in which students can study.
"AICT works closely with the Department of Immigration and the Department of Education to assist those Government authorities to monitor WA's international student population and ensure compliance with the relevant rules and visa requirements."
Regulator ASQA confirmed it had received around 20 complaints about AICT.
Seven did not meet complaint requirements, were outside jurisdiction or were unsubstantiated.
But the 13 remaining, which concerned student refunds, marketing practices, quality of training and 'conduct', led to ASQA's scrutiny and ultimate registration cancellation, a spokesman said.
One complainant identified himself as a former employee of AICT who wrote courses, but resigned and lodged a complaint on discovering they were being delivered out of scope.
Another was a Perth Justice of the Peace. Another was an education agent who once sourced students for AICT, until relations broke down.
The complaints from the JP and the agent were partially upheld, according to the regulator.
But the two, along with the chief executive of rival Perth provider World College, have also posted their allegations about AICT on social media, resulting in Mr Fu pursuing a defamation case against them. The case remains active.
World College itself has also been the subject of complaints: ASQA has investigated and resolved three complaints regarding World College in the past two years, sending the college a letter reminding it of its obligations under the national code.
It is also investigating three more complaints received in the past month, though it is not known who made the complaints or what allegations they are making, and World College has not responded to a request for comment.
Information for students
International students at AICT are encouraged to contact AICT directly in the first instance with any questions, through studentservices@aict.wa.edu.au. By law, even though the review is pending, if they ask AICT for a letter of release one must be issued at no cost to the student.
Any student with further concerns should call ASQA on 1300 701 801.
