The AFP has charged a Melbourne woman today (24 March, 2025) as part of a money laundering investigation that resulted in the 2023 seizure of luxury watches, gold bullion and cash valued at almost $400,000.
The woman, 43, is expected to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court today (24 March, 2025) after she was arrested at her Braybrook home.
The AFP will allege the woman used a cafe she opened in mid-2022 to conceal proceeds of crime.
The woman allegedly made 40 cash deposits under $10,000 into the business's bank account between 14 July, 2022, and 23 November, 2023.
Police will allege the money included proceeds of crime mixed with legitimate cafe earnings and the deposits were structured to avoid mandatory reporting under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (Cth).
The AFP executed a search warrant at the woman's Braybrook home in September, 2023, where they seized items suspected to be the proceeds of crime. These were four luxury watches with an estimated total value of $250,000, more than $32,000 in cash and 680 grams of gold bullion worth about $112,000.
As part of the investigation, officers also seized two encrypted mobile phones, eleven SIM cards, handwritten notes referencing cryptocurrency and documents relating to property ownership.
AFP inquiries allegedly revealed the woman's declared income was manifestly inadequate to account for the wealth she possessed, including funds in bank accounts and properties.
The charges against the woman stem from an AFP drug and money laundering investigation in Victoria. In June, 2022, the AFP charged a 33-year-old St Albans man, an alleged associate of the Braybrook woman, with drugs and proceeds of crime offences. The man remains before the courts.
The woman has been charged with:
- One count of engaging in conduct in relation to money or other property over $100,000, being the proceeds of general crime, contrary to section 400.4(1A) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 20 years' imprisonment;
- One count of conducting transactions so as to avoid reporting requirements relating to threshold transactions, contrary to section 142 of the Anti-money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is five years' imprisonment; and
- Failing to comply with an order issued under section 3LA of the Crimes Act (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years' imprisonment.
AFP Detective Inspector Rick Briggs said the AFP's dedicated members would pursue all investigative leads to identify people allegedly involved in illegal activity and put them before the courts.
"Financial gain is a common motivation for criminals and the AFP is working tirelessly to hold offenders to account and ensure they do not enjoy lavish lifestyles at the expense of the community or reinvest tainted wealth into other illicit ventures," Det Insp Briggs said.
"The AFP will ensure people lawfully justify the assets they accumulate."
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