What's the crime, say accused $10m fake merch dealers

The Advertiser

17 hours ago

A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail.
Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags.
Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts.
The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail.
While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said.
"The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi.
The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said.
Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking.
There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said.
Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case.
Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men.
There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told.
While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017.
Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022.
Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday.
Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case.
Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites.
More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized.
"These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said.
"It was a very professional outfit."
Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said.
Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes.
"They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said.
The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail.
Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags.
Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts.
The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail.
While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said.
"The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi.
The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said.
Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking.
There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said.
Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case.
Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men.
There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told.
While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017.
Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022.
Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday.
Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case.
Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites.
More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized.
"These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said.
"It was a very professional outfit."
Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said.
Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes.
"They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said.
The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail.
Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags.
Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts.
The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail.
While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said.
"The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi.
The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said.
Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking.
There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said.
Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case.
Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men.
There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told.
While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017.
Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022.
Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday.
Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case.
Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites.
More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized.
"These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said.
"It was a very professional outfit."
Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said.
Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes.
"They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said.
The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail.
Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags.
Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts.
The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail.
While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said.
"The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi.
The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said.
Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking.
There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said.
Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case.
Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men.
There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told.
While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017.
Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022.
Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday.
Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case.
Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites.
More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized.
"These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said.
"It was a very professional outfit."
Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said.
Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes.
"They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said.
The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.