NDIS fraud taskforce agents raid affluent Adelaide home owned by popular medical practitioner

The affluent Adelaide home of an SA medical practitioner has been raided as part of a federal investigation into disability fraud allegations.

AFP and NDIS officers raid home in major fraud investigation. Picture: 7NEWS

The affluent Adelaide home of a South Australian medical practitioner has been raided as part of a federal investigation into disability fraud allegations.

National Disability Insurance Agency fraud taskforce agents, with assistance of Australian Federal Police officers, including the dog squad, searched the practitioner’s eastern suburbs home early on Tuesday.

The Advertiser can reveal they are a medical practitioner, who consults across Adelaide.

The medico, who is not being named, has not been charged.

No arrests occurred.

A taskforce spokeswoman said the early morning raid on the $1.6m property was “part of an ongoing investigation into alleged Commonwealth criminal offences”.

There was no answer at the home on Wednesday.

Authorities said the National Disability Insurance Agency-led Fraud Fusion Taskforce had executed three search warrants in the past few weeks.

“The Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT) can confirm that on 27 August 2024, a search warrant was executed at a South Australian premises as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged Commonwealth criminal offences,” she said.

AFP and NDIS officers seize documents as part of the investigation. Picture: 7NEWS

“This activity, led by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), was supported by other FFT partner agencies.

“There is no immediate threat to the community because of this activity.”

Investigators seized various items including hundreds of documents, 7 News reported.

Almost 1,000 disability service providers have recently had “payment locks” applied to their claims as investigators “continue to target dodgy providers”, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said.

AFP and NDIS officers raid St Georges home in major fraud investigation | 7NEWS

“This work by the fraud taskforce continues a concerted effort by this Government to rid the NDIS from the shonks and scammers who think they can rip off Australians living with disability,” he said.

“The fraud taskforce is detecting and catching more crooks every day.

He said he wanted “to be really clear to everyone”.

This included “registered or unregistered provider falsifying claims or a dodgy health practitioner falsifying assessments, or a dodgy tax agent facilitating NDIS frauds or a dodgy plan manager facilitating false claims or a sophisticated criminal group doing all of the above”.

Mr Shorten warned: “You will be caught.”

Officials said 21 government agencies, involving most law enforcement organisations, were involved in the $126.3m taskforce, which was established in November 2022.