Canberra, Dec 2 (IANS): Australian authorities have issued an alert over a surge in reports of forced labour and exploitation in the country.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Monday said that the number of reported cases of forced labour and exploitation has increased by 140 per cent over the last six years, Xinhua news agency reported.

The data was released by the AFP on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery -- a United Nations (UN) initiative -- to highlight how criminal networks target vulnerable offshore workers and traffic them into Australia.

Helen Schneider, the AFP's human exploitation commander, said that organised criminal groups treat victims of human trafficking as commodities and exploit them for profit.

"Criminal syndicates will use deceptive recruitment tactics to target and force vulnerable individuals into these appalling situations, and trap them into endless cycles of debt, forced labour or domestic servitude," she said.

"The AFP is the lead agency in investigating this crime type and we investigate any reports we receive, but we also urge members of the public to be vigilant and alert police to any suspicions of human trafficking offences."

The AFP said that it received 69 reports of forced labour and exploitation in 2023-24 -- up from 29 in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

It said it received 382 reports of offences related to all forms of human trafficking in 2023-24.