News

Australian police uncover international identity scam

February 22, 2004

SYDNEY - Two men have been placed in immigration detention, and another man has been charged, after federal and NSW police uncovered an identity fraud racket with international links.

According to a report in The Age, police say the syndicate was generating fraudulent income in excess of $100,000 (U.S. $77,370) a week, with proceeds laundered locally and overseas.

Officers raided a residence in Sydney and another premises in suburban Eastlakes after the three men were arrested on Feb. 18. Among items seized were computers, digital imaging software and numerous forms of false identification, including ATM and credit cards.

Burwood police superintendent Catherine Burn said police were investigating the possibility passports had been forged.

Two of the arrested men were illegal immigrants. Burn did not reveal where the men were from or what international link the syndicate had.

The third man was charged with custody of a false instrument, and was refused bail. He will face Burwood Local Court on March 11.

"From the material we seized yesterday it's going to take us some time to establish exactly how the people involved were doing this," Burn told reporters. "What we can say is that the criminal activities that were being undertaken were generating fraudulent income in excess of $100,000 per week."