By Clare Sibthorpe, Riley Walter and Sally Rawsthorne
A Sydney couple allegedly laundered thousands of dollars as part of a sophisticated syndicate involving hundreds of cases of sextortion of young men and other scams.
On Tuesday, Strike Force Scottsboro officers simultaneously arrested 31-year-old Can Mustafa Kaya at a home in Parramatta and his ex-wife, Chada Khati, 29, at the Elizabeth Street home she shares with her uncle in Sydney’s CBD about 8.45am.
Can Mustafa Kaya (pictured) and Chada Khati were refused bail.Credit: NSW Police
Police allege the pair laundered more than $100,000 in proceeds from sextortion, cardless cash scams, business email compromise scams and phishing scams involving more than 300 alleged victims.
The sextortion scam allegedly involved “young men through texting, sexting... of the two parties,” a police prosecutor told Khati’s successful bail application on Wednesday afternoon.
The number of victims could rise significantly following analysis of Commonwealth Bank data, the court heard.
Kaya and Khati have been charged with recklessly dealing with the proceeds of general crime intending to conceal. Neither has been charged with offences related to the scams themselves.
Khati’s alleged involvement in the scam was limited to taking money from ATMs, the court heard.
”It’s not unknown for these people to be used by criminals,” said Magistrate Rodney Brender on Wednesday.
“There is no evidence she was involved in the scam itself.”
Khati had expressed reservations about the scam, Brender said, but foolishly trusted her husband’s assurances.
The Thai national, who has been in Australia for a decade and works as a masseuse in Merrylands, cried as she appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court via audio-visual link.
Khati will return to the Downing Centre Local Court next month.
Her ex-husband Kaya was refused bail in Parramatta Local Court, with Magistrate Katherine Thompson saying the allegations involved a “not insignificant” quantity of money and carried a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.
Taking the prosecution case at its highest, she said the timing of CCTV capturing the couple withdrawing money from ATMs coincided with “codes being sent” and money allegedly moved between Kaya’s and Khati’s bank accounts, before being transferred into cryptocurrency.
Police allegedly found $23,000 in cryptocurrency and another $5000 in cash during the search warrant at Kaya’s home.
“I am not satisfied bail conditions can mitigate the bail concerns,” Thomson said.
“I find an unacceptable risk of failing to appear and committing a further serious offence. Bail is refused.”
Kaya’s lawyer, Ertunc Ozen, SC, said his client intended to defend the charge and told the court the only “material that can tie him to these offences [is] simply being at an ATM with an ex-partner”.
“There is nothing in the facts to suggest he was involved in setting up this scheme,” Ozen said.
“All we know is that he’s there with his partner.”
The court heard Kaya moved from his native Turkey to Australia 11 years ago on a student visa, transferred to a working visa and married Khati.
Kaya will next face court on January 30.
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