AFP seizes millions in cash, cars, luxury property, bling and designer bags seized from criminals
Millions of dollars worth of luxury homes and care, plus fancy bling and designer bags and watches, are being seized by the AFP from crime bosses in a blitz on assets bought using tainted cash.
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Fancy bling, designer bags, luxury cars, homes and boats owned by crime bosses are being seized by the cops in a blitz on assets bought using tainted cash.
The Australian Federal Police are muscling up against organised crime, confiscating everything from diamond Rolex watches to entire farms believed to have been purchased using money gained through illegally activity.
In the past year the AFP Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce has seized more than $250m worth of luxury items, under a renewed focus by Commissioner Reece Kershaw ensuring all proceeds of crime are wrenched away from offenders.
“In the last 12 months, we have dealt a significant blow to organised crime groups seeking to profit from their crimes, and we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of their ill-gotten gains,” Mr Kershaw said.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Supreme Court of NSW this month ordered the forfeiture of $600,000 in cash seized after it was discovered thrown over the fence into a neighbour’s backyard when cops arrived to search a property in Bankstown last year.
The huge stash was surrendered to the Commonwealth on August 20, following the conviction of a 42-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman.
In the past year the AFP has seized a diamond Rolex, a $1m luxury boat in Sydney, a Louis Vuitton Handbag and a $5m farm in Tasmania.
A $4.5m house in Dover Heights and $250,000 Mercedes Benz were also seized in Sydney as a result of a large scale customs fraud and alcohol smuggling investigation in 2019.
The cops have also secured stores of cryptocurrency, bank accounts, cash and commercial properties — all of which they can seize secretly to prevent offenders moving assets overseas.
The goods confiscated have been linked to money laundering, drug trafficking, illicit tobacco, identity crime and tax offences.
AFP Confiscation national manager Stefan Jerga said by depriving criminals of these assets the cops were undermining the “profitability” of their criminal enterprises.
“We come after all their assets,” he said. “Whether it be the roof over their heads, their modes of transport and recreational toys, bank accounts, or the watches, bags and shoes they parade, we target it all.”