Granville man Anajur Tejaswi charged after alleged phone scam

A western Sydney truckie has been charged after police allegedly found $25,000 in a post office box as part of an investigation into an alleged phone scam.

A Granville man charged as part of a phone scam investigation has failed in his bid to leave Australia after a magistrate was not convinced he would return.

Truck driver Anajur Tejaswi, 41, was charged after Cumberland police started to investigate reports in June that several people had received a call from someone purporting to be from a law enforcement agency or financial institution, demanding money or gift cards under the alleged threat of violence or arrest.

Inquiries led detectives to identify a Granville post office box, which was allegedly being used to facilitate the scam.

Anajur Tejaswi leaves court on Thursday.

They arrested Mr Tejaswi while he was allegedly attempting to access the mailbox on October 29.

During a search, cops seized a shoebox containing $25,000 cash and a raid of the man’s then home at Boundary St led police to seize another $4900 and documents.

Police allege in court documents that Mr Tejaswi knowingly dealt with $12,500 proceeds of crime at Parkes in the state’s central west between October 19 and 25, and he allegedly received the cash via an Australia Post box.

Mr Tejaswi was taken to Parramatta police station where he was charged with two counts of knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime.

He was granted conditional bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday when the court heard he wanted to fly home to India on compassionate grounds to be reunited with relatives, including his parents.

His solicitor told the court Covid had stopped Mr Tejaswi from flying overseas but he wanted an exemption, and that he had strong community ties in Australia.

But Magistrate Kristy Thompson was not confident the father-of-two would return to Australia.

“You’re not giving me anything compelling as to why he would come back,’’ she told his solicitor.

“The risk of failing to attend is way too high’'.

He was forbidden from leaving the country but his bail was continued.

The matter will return to the same court on February 10.

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