Credit Card Manufacturing Equipment Seized After Raids On $6 Million Syndicate

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

2 July 2009

Credit card manufacturing equipment seized
after raids on $6 million syndicate

Seven people have been arrested across Sydney and Melbourne in connection
with a $6 million identity fraud syndicate.
The multi-agency Identity Security Strike Teams (ISST) executed 11 search
warrants and seized manufacturing equipment and identity documents in raids
yesterday.
It will be alleged in court that the principal of the syndicate, a 53-year-old
Homebush Bay man is responsible for the manufacture and distribution of in
excess of 200 fraudulent credit cards per week.
It is estimated that they were being used to purchase around $500,000 of
goods per week.
The 53-year-old is alleged to have received credit card details from various
sources overseas and on-forwarded the information to a 35-year-old Potts
Point man, who allegedly produced fake credit cards as well as other identity
documents.
The 53-year-old man then allegedly collected the credit cards and other
identity documents he ordered and distributed them to supervisors to pass
onto `shoppers'.
It will be alleged that the `shoppers' were then directed as to what was to be
purchased with the cards and received a percentage of the value of the items
purchased with the fraudulent credit cards.
Goods believed to have been obtained through this scheme include electronic
goods, gift cards, phone cards, alcohol and stamps.
The ISSTs have identified in excess of 1200 credit card numbers involved with
this scheme since March 2009.
On 1 July 2009, search warrants were executed at 11 locations across Sydney
and Melbourne.
The following people were arrested yesterday in Sydney:
A 53-year-old Homebush Bay man
A 35-year-old Potts Point man
A 53-year-old Mortdale man
A 45-year-old Smithfield man
A 26-year-old Strathfield man



The men were charged with a range of Commonwealth and NSW offences,
including dishonestly dealing in financial information, dealing in the proceeds
of crime, participation in a criminal group, and making/using a false
instrument. All were charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud financial
institutions.

The following people were arrested yesterday in Melbourne:

A 28-year-old Doncaster woman
A 35-year-old Blackburn North man

These three persons have been charged with dishonestly dealing in financial
information, dealing in the proceeds of crime, and passport offences. Police
are currently seeking the extradition of the 28-year-old woman to NSW, so
that she can be charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud financial
institutions offences.

All of the people charged in Sydney are due to appear at Sydney Central Local
Court today.

The man charged in Melbourne has been remanded in custody to appear in
Melbourne Magistrates Court on 10 July 2009.

The ISST is a multi-agency taskforce with members from the Australian
Federal Police, NSW Police Force, Australian Crime Commission, NSW Crime
Commission and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

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.


Media Conference
A joint media conference will be held today (Thursday, 2 July 2009) at AFP
Headquarters in Sydney.
Time: 9.00am
Address: AFP Headquarters, 110 Goulburn St, Sydney.


Media enquiries:
AFP
Media
(Canberra)
(02)
6275
7100
NSW Police Force Media (02) 8835 8339 or 0425 214 090
DIAC
Media

(02)
6264
2244
ACC
Communications
(02)
6243
6648