Taskforce Avarus: ‘Red-shoe crime ring’ busted wide open by police

A woman accused of being a ‘money mule’ swapped wigs and other disguises, but a signature pair of shoes proved her undoing.

An alleged female money mule. Picture: Australian Federal Police

A woman accused of being a member of a money-laundering ring is alleged to have worn a wig and other disguises to stash cash in multiple ATMs – but failed to change her signature red shoes.

The woman, a foreign student who worked at a Sydney noodle bar, is accused of being a money mule for an alleged Vietnamese-controlled money-laundering operation which police say moved $25m over a two-year period.

The Australian Federal Police allege the woman made multiple visits to different bank ATMs across Melbourne and Sydney to make deposits.

Each deposit is alleged to have been under the $10,000 reporting threshold. Police allege the woman made multiple wardrobe changes – donning a wig and sunglasses and different clothes – to visit different ATMs.

It is further alleged, however, that she didn’t change her bright red sneakers.

An alleged female money mule. Picture: Australian Federal Police

The woman is one of six people charged by police and accused of being a part of a money-laundering operation, which was run out of Vietnam but allegedly operated in Melbourne and Sydney over a number of years.

A husband and wife were also arrested in connection with the same police investigation, and accused of being a part of the money-laundering organisation. The pair of alleged money mules were arrested at Melbourne Airport in October, allegedly as they were preparing to leave the country.

Police allege that the Vietnamese co-ordinator of the organisation came to Sydney to find out what was happening after five alleged money mules were arrested.

The 45-year-old man was arrested as he arrived at Sydney Airport and was charged with proceeds-of-crime offences.

A car is taken away from the scene Picture: Australian Federal Police

He was also charged with two counts of attempted bribery, after the AFP alleged he twice offered their officers $20,000 to release him. The first attempt is alleged to have occurred in a holding room at the airport shortly after he was ­detained. He has been remanded in custody.

The AFP have several officers stationed in Vietnam and worked with them on the investigation, as well as Vietnamese law enforcement agencies.

In another major investigation, police restrained $12m in assets, including eight properties in the ACT, after charging a Canberra man with proceeds-of-crime offences. The investigation into the man’s alleged activities began in late 2020 when the FBI and the US Internal Revenue Service reported an Australian-based person was allegedly using cryptocurrency to launder money.

It is alleged the man used sophisticated transactions to launder cash and cryptocurrency from the sale of stolen personal identification information and illegal goods, as well as the proceeds from fraudulent scams and illegal online gambling.

The AFP will further allege the man had accumulated a significant number of assets that were suspected to be the proceeds of crime, including eight properties, four luxury cars worth more than $800,000, 28 bank accounts and approximately $600,000 in cryptocurrency. It’s alleged $1.5m in cash was seized by police from one of the houses searched.

Police video of the man’s arrest shows three rows of a wardrobe displaying more than 40 designer handbags, including several from Louis Vuitton, and four eye-catching watches, one of which retailed for $35,000.

Luxury goods were seized from a dressing room, including clothing from European fashion house Balenciaga.

An ACT man is arrested. Picture: Australian Federal Police

A black Mercedes sport utility vehicle was towed from outside a townhouse, along with a grey Mercedes G-Class wagon.

The investigation started under the auspices of an organisation known as the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which includes the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the UK, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit from the US.