Millicent Spencer
Police have brought down a large-scale Middle Eastern organised crime syndicate in Melbourne’s north, responsible for significant money laundering.
Fifteen people will front the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday, February 3, including three people from Broadmeadows, five from Roxburgh Park, two from Craigieburn, one from Greenvale, and one from Thomastown.
In total 24 people have been charged during the investigation with a range of Commonwealth money laundering offences.
A further eight people will all appear at court next week, and two have already appeared before the court.
Police commenced the investigation in October 2020 with a focus on the syndicate’s access to firearms, large-scale drug importation, and unexplained wealth.
Over the course of two years, police will allege that those involved were laundering money, alleged to be the proceeds of crime, through property, companies, and high-end vehicles.
Police will allege a 52-year-old Roxburgh Park man is the head of the money laundering syndicate.
He and a 32-year-old Broadmeadows woman have already appeared before court.
The man was charged with numerous offences, including:
• Dealing with money or property being proceeds of crime recklessly greater than $1 million
• Dealing with money or property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime
• Recklessly dealing in money or property being proceeds of indictable crime greater than $10M
• Dealing with money or property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of indictable crime greater than $10 million.
A further seven people have been charged with recklessly dealing with money or property being proceeds of crime and dealing with money or property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.
They will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday, February 10, and include:
• A 47-year-old Craigieburn man
• A 26-year-old Mickleham man
• A 57-year-old Greenvale man
• A 55-year-old Mickleham woman
• A 30-year-old Meadow Heights man
• A 29-year-old Mickleham woman
• A 26-year-old Attwood woman
This investigation, which has focused on money laundering offences, forms part of a broader investigation into a large scale Middle Eastern Organised Crime syndicate operating in Melbourne.
As part of that investigation, more than 75 search warrants have been executed leading to the seizure and confiscation of more than $40 million worth of assets, including:
• $20 million in assets being the proceeds of crime
• In excess of $2.2 million cash
• A $400,000 stolen Porsche
• Five firearms
• Approximately 6kg of heroin
• 25.5kg of methylamphetamine
• 5.6kg of cocaine
• Various quantities of cannabis, GHB, and prescription medication
A number of people have been charged with a range of drug and firearm offences, as well as threats to kill and directing activities of a criminal organisation.
Victoria Police has also worked closely with other agencies including the Australian Federal Police as part of this investigation.
