Taskforce Avarus: Gold bars, luxury cars and mountains of cash

AFP case files reveal the wide variety of ways that money was allegedly laundered.

Bullion was seized at a home in Lakemba, Sydney. Picture: Australian Federal Police

Student visa woman

A woman was allegedly flown around the country with instructions to deposit cash at multiple ATMs. Police allege the woman repeatedly collected cash from the controller of a money-laundering syndicate and deposited it in different ATMs. It’s alleged millions of dollars went through the woman’s accounts. She was arrested at Sydney Airport last year and remanded in custody to face court later this year.

Gold dealer couple

A couple were charged with allegedly moving $22m through their bank accounts over an 18-month period. Police allege the man, a registered precious metals dealer, failed to adhere to reporting obligations by providing clients with anonymity when making large cash purchases. Police allege they seized $86,000 in cash and $148,000 worth of gold bullion from the couple’s Lakemba home.

The controller

Through Operation Ironside, the AFP’s encrypted app sting, a person was identified as an alleged controller of a Vietnamese money-laundering organisation. The AFP raided two units at a western Sydney building complex and seized $2.6m in cash. A woman was charged with a proceeds-of-crime offence. The AFP then successfully applied to the NSW Supreme Court to have 13 properties, and the cash haul, restrained. All up, the value of the restrained assets is $23m.

Hidden compartments

A man was charged after police seized $250,000 cash and 8kg of cocaine and methamphetamine. It is alleged his vehicle had multiple hidden compartments for storing cash and drugs. He was charged with drugs and proceeds-of-crime offences and will appear in a Sydney court later this year.

Baby formula ‘daigou’

The AFP dismantled what was alleged to be an industrial-scale “daigou”, or surrogate shopping operation, in which the organiser in China would allegedly watch money being counted in Sydney via CCTV. Police allege that, on a daily basis, cash hidden in boxes labelled as baby formula would arrive at a commercial warehouse. The cash would be deposited at ATMs and the money withdrawn and used to purchase actual baby formula to be sold for a high price in China. Police allege the organiser in China would monitor the cash counting live through CCTV cameras stationed in the office of the warehouse. In April last year police seized $300,000 in cash from the warehouse. A man will appear in court on proceeds-of-crime charges.

Jackpot trio

Three alleged members of a money-laundering syndicate were arrested in September and accused of laundering millions of dollars through a licensed gaming venue in Springvale in suburban Melbourne. Police say the group members purchased jackpot wins from patrons, which were paid out by the venue as cheques. The cheques would then be deposited in bank accounts and immediately withdrawn as cash. Police allege about 73 per cent of cheques issued at the venue between November 2021 and last September, valued at more than $4.7m, were issued to patrons linked to the syndicate.

Fraudulent accounts

Two Queensland men were arrested after a consultant allegedly used personal information from his clients to open fraudulent bank accounts. It’s alleged the second man provided millions of dollars that went into the accounts. The pair were accused of involvement in a syndicate that allegedly laundered $4.5m in cash, and were charged with conspiring to deal with the proceeds of crime.

Thai property tie-up

Property worth $4m was forfeited after an international money-laundering investigation began following Austrac’s detection of suspicious transactions between bank accounts in Western Australia and Thailand. A joint investigation between the AFP and Royal Thai Police resulted in the WA courts ordering funds in a bank account, and a Perth apartment, to be forfeited.

$1m in a car boot

A man was arrested in a suburban car park after police searched his car and allegedly discovered almost $1m in the boot. The West Australian man was arrested in October after police seized $998,850 in cash. The arrest happened in a car park in City Beach in Perth, and the man, who police allege was linked to local criminal groups, was charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime.