NSW Crime Commission seizes $135m in dodgy assets from crims

The state’s top criminals have had their exotic cars, million-dollar watches and luxury handbags confiscated by a team of accountants and lawyers referred to as “Raptor with calculators”.

Sydney gangsters have been stripped of more than $135m in cash and assets in the past 12 months by a team of accountants and lawyers who are being referred to as “Raptor with calculators”.

Exotic cars, property, stashes of cash, bank accounts, gold bullion, million-dollar watches and luxury handbags are now in the hands of the NSW Crime Commission (NSWCC) which – working alongside NSW Police – has targeted some of the state’s top criminals and their networks.

The NSWCC confiscations team – which has been likened to the NSW Police Force’s tough anti-gang Raptor Squad – is going after the assets, armed with new powers to strip organised crime figures of their wealth before they are charged.

“For a lot of these individuals, it’s the status and prestige that goes with the possessions and assets they have accumulated,” said Nicole Lawless, assistant commissioner and executive director of legal and confiscations at the NSWCC.

“The flashy cars, diamonds and watches worth millions – if you target those symbols of wealth and take it from them, it damages their standing in the criminal world.

NSW Crime Commission confiscation team members Nicole Lawless and Mark Pulvirenti (left), and items confiscated by the team, including luxury cars, gold bullion and cash.

“We don’t need a criminal charge to go after them and freeze their assets.

“They can, of course, dispute the confiscation of their assets in court. But for us, an important part of the process is about disruption and ­stripping them of their illegally acquired assets.

“For every dollar we take, that is a dollar that can’t be used to commit more crime.”

Luxury handbags seized by police.

Since the introduction of new unexplained wealth laws in 2023, the NSWCC has restrained more than $135m worth of assets allegedly linked to criminal activity. In one example, a target had property and assets worth $7.1m frozen by the NSWCC.

Another $7m has been subject to Asset Forfeiture Notices (AFNs), which means goods or cash are taken and forfeited to the state if someone does not come forward within 60 days with proof the assets were legally obtained.

This is most often used when police find cash on a premises or in vehicles where those involved deny any knowledge of it.

One current case involves a suitcase with nearly $700,000 cash in it, which was thrown out of a window from the 34th floor of a Meriton apartment in Parramatta early this year.

Police raided the unit in April after receiving a tip-off it was connected to a criminal charged with kidnapping and other offences.

A 2021 Lamborghini Aventador is confiscated as part of the NSW Crime Commission and NSW Police operation targeting the state’s top criminals and their networks.

A total of $686,170.00 was seized but it’s believed not all the cash was recovered as the suitcase burst open and money was strewn on the street below.

Ms Lawless works alongside director of confiscations Mark Pulvirenti, an internationally-respected forensic accountant who leads a team of finance and accounting experts, intelligence and technical analysts who hunt down assets through companies, and crack passwords on computers and phones.

“We work with police when executing search warrants, particularly for rapid entries which are required to quickly obtain phones and devices linked to cryptocurrency ­accounts,” Mr Pulvirenti said.

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