Doubts after 'unprecedented' arrests over luxury fakes
Brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, have been charged over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags.
When police raided their homes on Wednesday, they seized high-end cars including a Mercedes AMG and Lamborghinis.
But as a bail hearing resumed on Friday the trio's lawyers maintained it was unclear what crime the accused men had committed.
The federal government might be "aiding and abetting" or "conspiring" with the men by taking their income tax, Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland alleged.
While police have said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, that figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017.
Court documents indicate the alleged offences - which include dealing with the proceeds of crime - only took place from 2022.
There had also been no concealment of business activity, lawyers argued.
Mr Boland told Parramatta Local Court the decision to charge his client was "unprecedented" because police did not make more of an effort to shut down counterfeit sales at markets.
"If it's really criminal to import these items, to sell them and to knowingly import these items, you shouldn't be able to walk into a market ... and buy them," he told the court.
"There's no government information to that effect, just a suburban police station laying a charge."
There were no allegations of fraud, but a breach of intellectual property made by police, rather than brand owners, Mr Boland argued.
"It's not clear the brand owners even know or care," he said.
Describing the strength of the prosecution case as "moderate", Magistrate Emma Manea bailed the trio on strict conditions.
She found issues surrounding the date range of the alleged offending, along with what type of offence underpinned their dealing with proceeds of crime charges.
Bail conditions included paying a $50,000 surety, reporting to a police station twice a day, not using social media and not associating with one another.
During their raids earlier this week, 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.
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.
The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
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News.com.au
16 hours ago
- News.com.au
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Sky News AU
7 days ago
- Sky News AU
Son of Virginia bowling billionaire cheats on wife with their four kids' former nanny, asks for divorce on Christmas Day: court papers
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Sydney Morning Herald
11-08-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Hermes handbags, multiple properties and a $24,000 Rolex: Alleged ‘unexplained wealth' of woman charged with foreign interference
Hard cash, Hermes handbags, multiple properties and a receipt for a Rolex watch worth $24,000 are among the 'unexplained wealth' of a woman who has been charged with reckless foreign interference, court documents allege. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) charged the Chinese national – who is also an Australian permanent resident – last week after search warrants were carried out at Canberra residences. She has been remanded in custody after being denied bail by the ACT Supreme Court. Police allege she was tasked by China's Public Security Bureau with spying on an Australian-based Buddhist group Guan Yin Citta. Court documents released on Monday and originally reported by the ABC and the Australian included a list of items allegedly found in her home, among them at least six Hermes bags, with a receipt showing one of them had cost $30,000, and further handbag boxes which police claimed were 'too numerous' to count. Police claimed they found about $5000 in $100 bills and the receipt for a Rolex. The statement to the court also alleged the woman wholly or partly owned multiple properties and vehicles. They also reportedly found goods from other luxury brands, including Burberry, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Redacted lines did not reveal all the items allegedly found but referred to a receipt for one item worth $400,000, the Australian reported. Police alleged in the reported documents that the woman had been paid more than $230,223 by the People's Republic of China since 2017. The documents claimed the woman – who came to Australia on a higher education visa – had travelled to China, where she had family and held an active passport, on 'several occasions in the past several years'. She allegedly travelled to a region, Jindong, where she received 'taskings' from a spy handler.
