The AFP is reported as indicating that it has "smashed a major fraud syndicate, allegedly responsible for manufacturing thousands of counterfeit credit cards", with officers from the AFP and NSW Police raiding properties in Sydney and Adelaide "as part of a 12-month investigation into the alleged credit card manufacturing syndicate" that was active in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
The men allegedly skimmed people's credit cards to get the details and manufacture thousands of counterfeit cards that were then used to buy over $1 million worth of goods, such as televisions and luxury handbags. Just can't have too much Hermes or Louis Vuitton.
The ABC reports Col Dyson from the NSW Police Fraud Squad as indicating -
it is a burgeoning area of crime.Fadi Salami and Hussein Mourad were refused bail in Central Local Court.
"We do have criminal groups that have moved from other criminal activities into identity crime," he said.
"We know that they realise now that this is a lucrative crime for them and they've either moved out of their more traditional crimes into this or they're supplementing their other criminal activities by engaging in identity crime."
The AFP media release is more detailed, indicating the involvement of the AFP, New South Wales Police, New South Wales Crime Commission, Department of Immigration & Citizenship and New South Wales Transport Roads & Traffic Authority.
It will be alleged that the syndicate sourced credit card details, created counterfeit credit cards and then used those cards to purchase goods and services in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.The investigation was initiated in November 2009 as a result of information provided by the Australian Crime Commission, with search warrants being executed this week in Roselands, Yagoona, Revesby, Hammondville, Punchbowl and Riverwood in NSW. A search warrant was also executed on a hotel room in Adelaide by AFP members supporting the investigation.
The syndicate allegedly created supporting identification documents (including NSW driver licences and Medicare cards) to assist with the use of the counterfeit credit cards and supplied false identification to other persons on a ‘to order’ basis.
At the Hammondville premises approximately 1,000 blank credit cards and partially finished credit cards and NSW driver licences were seized, along with a card printing machine. A firearm was located at one premises and will be subjected to forensic examination. A commercial printer was also located ...
The men have been charged with a range of Commonwealth and NSW offences, including dishonestly dealing in financial information, dealing in the proceeds of crime, dealing with identification information, and making/using a false instrument. All were charged with participating in a criminal group.
The ISST is a multi-agency taskforce with members from the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force, NSW Crime Commission, Department of Immigration and Citizenship and NSW Roads and Traffic Authority.
The ISST operates from the AFP's Sydney office with teams also located in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. The teams investigate serious and complex identity security matters forming a collaborative network among law enforcement agencies to effectively deal with this crime.
