An asset seizure order has given a glimpse into the lives of members of a large Middle Eastern crime syndicate after expensive watches, jewellery, fine art, and even a yacht have been forfeited to the Commonwealth.
The decision in the Supreme Court of Victoria was the final stage of Operation Fuji, led by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) which focused on the syndicate’s access to firearms, large-scale drug importation activity, and extensive wealth, as well as threats to the lives of numerous people.
The investigation found that significant drug importations were planned and coordinated by syndicate leaders even though they were already in prison.
A Melbourne man, aged 33 and allegedly head of the syndicate, was found to have been pretending to talk to his lawyer on prison phones when he was actually ordering members of the Melbourne-based gang to set up the importation of drugs.
He faces 15 years’ imprisonment for allegedly directing the activities of a criminal organisation and has also been charged with allegedly importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs (56 kilograms of methamphetamine and 13 kilograms of heroin), which carries a sentence of life imprisonment.
At the time he was charged, the man was in Barwon Prison waiting to be sentenced on murder charges brought by Victoria Police.
The AFP launched Operation Fuji in November of 2021 after the Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized 400 kilograms of methamphetamine at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, consigned to an address in Melbourne.
Fine Art Worth Millions
The operation also included an investigation by the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) into the origin and ownership of numerous luxury items owned by syndicate members, which were suspected of being proceeds of crime.These included a luxury yacht, properties, and original paintings by prominent Australian artists such as Ben Quilty, Fred Williams, and Adam Cullen.
According to Art Sales Digest, Quilty’s works sell for up to $270,000 apiece, while Williams’ sell for up to $3.2 million and works by Cullen fetch up to $92,000.
The CACT successfully convinced the court that the assets should be forfeited, submitting it was reasonable to suspect they were the proceeds of crime given they were not commensurate with the syndicate members’ identifiable legitimate earnings.
Oil on canvas, 51 x 91.5 cm. The painting is one seized from an organised crime gang recently. Courtesy of AFP
In addition to five original paintings worth around $500,000 and a $800,000 luxury yacht, the court also ordered the syndicate to give up a cache of jewellery, including Rolex watches and Cartier bracelets, estimated to be worth over $75,000.
The biggest forfeiture was 11 properties in Melbourne suburbs, including Mickleham, Malvern East, Essendon, and Moonee Ponds, collectively estimated to be worth more than $8.7 million.
Revenue from the eventual sale of these assets will be added to a special purpose fund that supports crime prevention and law enforcement-related measures.
AFP Detective Superintendent Scott Raven said stripping criminals of their illicit wealth was a key priority for the agency and its partners.
“The CACT’s investigators, forensic accountants, and litigation lawyers will ensure people justify how they accumulate their wealth and target any assets that are not linked to lawful sources,” he said.
“This prevents the bankrolling of further criminal activity and makes crime less financially lucrative. Outcomes such as this one in Victoria are key to disrupting and deterring serious organised crime across the country.”
He said the result highlighted the importance of not only holding criminals to account but also working to remove every single benefit they derive from their offending.
“Money remains the lifeblood of organised crime, and cutting off the flow of ill-gotten finances helps prevent further harm to the community by cutting off revenue and motivation,” he said.
“It is rewarding that funds forfeited through the CACT’s work are redirected to the programs that benefit the community.”
The CACT brings together the AFP, Australian Border Force, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and AUSTRAC to trace, restrain, and pursue the confiscation of criminal assets.
Once forfeited to the Commonwealth, the assets are sold by the Official Trustee and funds derived from the sale of confiscated assets are placed into a special purpose fund, to be distributed by the Attorney-General to benefit the community through crime prevention measures, diversion programmes, or other law enforcement measures across Australia.
The Commonwealth laws targeting crime money provide not just for the seizure and forfeiture of both the proceeds and instruments of crime, but also impose financial penalties and unexplained wealth orders, based on a civil standard of proof.
These laws operate separately from any criminal prosecution and can also operate when there is no related criminal investigation or prosecution.
Since July 2019, CACT has restrained more than $1.2 billion in criminal assets, including houses, cars, fine art and luxury yachts.
