Salisbury, Prospect, Ingle Farm caught in alleged Optus hack scam

Police have been given one week to explain why three Chinese men accused of a huge credit card hack of possibly 1800 South Australians should be kept behind bars.

An alleged major hack of streaming services used by South Australians spans several suburbs and could have impacted 1800 people, now the men accused of carrying it out could be released from prison.

The precarious nature of their release hinges on police providing the courts with an expansive file of the allegations they face, something their lawyers say has not been done.

But court documents released to The Advertiser show the men allegedly used credit cards to steal cash in Paralowie, Salisbury Downs, Ingle Farm, Welland and Prospect – with Salisbury Downs the location of 16 allegations itself.

The three men Sheng Li, 24, Renzhong Chen, 31, and Xiaoxin Zheng, 20 were arrested on comparably minor charges on November 17 and remanded.

Months later, as they hoped to be released on bail, their lawyers were “ambushed” with dire federal conspiracy charges and 76 counts relating to allegedly stealing credit card details and buying things using those cards.

The men allegedly used details released in the Optus hack. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

High-profile silk Grant Algie KC represents one of the Chinese men. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

Veteran police prosecutor Gary Phillips was drafted in to the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court for the hearing. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

The Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday heard those conspiracy charges would be withdrawn, with investigators as yet unable to nail down what that case looked like.

Prosecutor Gary Phillips told the court, despite their withdrawal, it was “likely, or possible” they would be re-laid.

“This is a significantly complex matter,” he said.

“Police have seized a significant amount of computer and phone equipment.

“(The case) is changing by the day.”

When the men last faced court in December, Magistrate Jayanthi Pandya was told the allegations were “prolific”, could have impacted about 1800 people, and involve money laundering of “hundreds of thousands” of dollars.

Police prosecutor John Payne told the court the allegations related to the men using data leaks from the high-profile Optus hack and then carrying out a phishing scam of Spotify, Netflix and Foxtel.

The allegations led to a staggering 31 counts of dishonestly taking property without consent, 26 of using another’s identification to commit offence, 17 of dishonestly taking property and one of possessing prohibited material.

Mr Phillips on Wednesday told the court the breadth of those charges could, theoretically, extend to all 1800 alleged victims.

But Grant Algie KC, for Mr Chen, told the court the lack of consolidated charges meant – in his client’s case – a 30-year-old man with no criminal history was stuck on remand.

Mr Algie then made a thinly veiled claim the prosecution was sharing more information with the media than the defence, saying he had “learnt more about the suggested allegations from The Advertiser”.

“We’re not aware of anything because the prosecution … hasn’t given us any information about what the charges are, what the information is, a summary of the facts or the level of the gravity that’s asserted,” he said.

Patrick Dawes, for Mr Li, who was supported in court by his parents who had flown to Australia from China – where the father works as a property developer – reiterated Mr Algie’s frustrations.

“It’s all well and good to say this is a complex matter … but, of course, my client and Mr Algie’s client sit in custody while the prosecution move the chess pieces,” he said.

Mr Pandya gave prosecution a seven day deadline to provide the respective defence counsels information and adjourned the matter for a bail hearing later this month.