Latest news with #proceedsOfCrime
ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Russian couple accused of money laundering scheme to face Qld Supreme Court
A Russian couple accused of masterminding a multimillion-dollar money laundering operation have been committed to stand trial in the Queensland Supreme Court. Alexandra Bugrova, 47, and Dmitry Rimskiy, 50, who moved to Australia in 2015, have been charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime worth $1,000,000. An Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation was launched after a tip-off from Austrac that the Gold Coast pair had deposited more than $4 million into ATMs across 576 transactions, which were structured to avoid the financial crime watchdog's $10,000 reporting threshold. Police allege the cash was laundered at banks and ATMs in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia between July 2022 and September 2023. The funds were allegedly used to purchase or rapidly repay mortgages for waterfront mansions in Hope Island, Broadbeach Waters and Runaway Bay, houses in Labrador, Alexandra Hills and Mount Gravatt, and a high-rise unit at Milton. The AFP seized $15.6 million in assets, including seven properties in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, $514,000 worth of cryptocurrency and more than $1.95 million in cash found in a suitcase during a raid on the couple's Hope Island home in December 2023. While defence barrister Angus Edwards KC acknowledged the transactions were deliberately designed to evade detection, he said the charges should be thrown out because there was no evidence the money was the proceeds of crime. Mr Edwards told a committal hearing at the Southport Magistrates Court the couple were wealthy business owners who were trying to move their money out of Russia and were afraid of political persecution from the Putin administration. "We certainly accept that we have engaged in conduct designed to hide the money being deposited," Mr Edwards said. "Russia is not a democracy. [The government] is engaged in a war in Ukraine and it is well-known they are prone to seizing assets. "They were afraid of sticking their heads up above the parapet and having their assets and their businesses stripped from them in Russia." Crown prosecutor Dylan Kerr conceded the Commonwealth's case was circumstantial but told the court the "irresistible inference" was the money was the proceeds of crime. "It is not uncommon in a money laundering case that authorities do not know where the money came from," he said. "If it is the case that all this money came from Russia, why was it deposited in Australian dollars and not in rubles?" Magistrate Kerry Magee said the cash deposited "exceeded their reported earnings by a significant amount". "In essence, the defendants are asking me to find that … the defendants' conduct was for the purposes of avoiding seizure of their assets by Russian authorities," Ms Magee said. "I have no means of assessing the reasonableness or otherwise of that hypothesis. "I am of the opinion that the evidence is sufficient to put you on trial." The couple do not speak English and a Russian translator had to be used for the arraignment. They did not enter a plea and were released on bail. The maximum penalty for the charges is 25 years in jail. The pair will face Brisbane Supreme Court at a date yet to be set.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Government announces first recipients of proceeds of crime fund
The funds come from assets seized by the police. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver The government has announced the first three recipients of funding from the proceeds of crime fund since it changed the criteria to focus on outcomes. The contestable fund was administered by the Ministry of Justice, and came from cash and assets gained through crime, and seized by police. Established in 2009, the fund has been used to support a range of community and government programmes. In opposition, National and ACT [. heavily criticised funding for a Mongrel Mob-led methamphetamine] rehabilitation programme. Earlier this year, the government re-jigged the criteria so initiatives had to clearly demonstrate how they would contribute to the government's target of 20,000 fewer victims by December 2029. Government agencies were encouraged to work with community groups when submitting proposals. Associate justice minister Nicole McKee said her expectation for recipients was their proposals could demonstrate clear outcomes, so the government could "invest in programmes that break the cycle of violence and drug-related harm, making our communities safer and giving people the support they need to lead better lives". Associate justice minister Nicole McKee. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone "It's about ensuring that money taken from criminals is put to work for everyday New Zealanders." The Meke Academy in Hawke's Bay would receive $1.506m over three years. The academy worked with young people at a serious risk of re-offending, helping them to reduce drug use, and get qualifications along with literacy and numeracy skills. The Kauhanga programme would receive $1.953 over three years, to help it expand. The programme was run by the Billy Graham Youth Foundation. McKee said the programme "helps develop resilience and pathways" for long-term education, training, health, and whānau outcomes, for high-risk young people. The Motueka Meth Harm Reduction programme would receive $1.503m over three years. The programme included a mixture of rehabilitation support and prevention campaigning. The next funding round was expected to open in October. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Crooks owe Scots authorities £5million after being ordered to pay back profits from their crimes
Criminals ordered to repay the profits of their crimes still owe the authorities £5 million, with critics branding the failure to recoup the cash an 'insult to victims'. Data from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) shows there are currently 89 so-called 'confiscation orders' in arrears, worth a total of £5,065,459. The orders require criminals to pay back money they have gained via illegal activities under proceeds of crime laws. But a number of crooks continue to owe large sums of cash, despite the court orders being handed out more than a decade ago. Shockingly, there were two confiscation orders with outstanding payments due of more than £500,000, while several others are also for six figure sums. The largest amount owed is £560,881 in relation to late brothel madam Margaret Paterson, who pimped out women in Edinburgh for 10 years. She was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in 2013 after being convicted of brothel-keeping as well as money laundering and living on the earnings of prostitution. She was ordered to pay £1 million but died in 2019 before coughing up the bulk of the cash leaving prosecutors to try to recover the rest of the money from her estate. Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: 'These shocking figures are proof crime pays under the soft-touch SNP. It's clear our proceeds of crime laws are simply not fit for purpose, with wealthy criminals having nothing to fear. 'Complacent SNP ministers are failing to address the scale of organised crime in Scotland and must give our police, prosecutors and courts the resources they need to do their jobs and recover this money.' He added: 'Hard-working Scots will be appalled that this money is not being repaid by offenders, especially at a time when Nationalist ministers are cutting services and hiking taxes. 'The fact criminals are allowed to get away with this is another insult to victims of crime, who always seem to be an afterthought in the SNP's justice system.' Among the ten highest-value orders, half were imposed before 2016, with one of them dating back to 2012. According to figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives via freedom of information laws, no repayments had been made on six of the top ten highest sums, while others only had a small portion of the order paid back. Funds recovered through confiscation orders are used to help improve local communities. Since 2008, £130 million has been invested in community initiatives. An SCTS spokesman said: 'A confiscation order may take some time to recover in full. 'The period within which financial penalties should be paid is a matter for the judiciary.' A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'Payment of the order is supervised by the court. Where payment is not made, further action to recover the balance can be taken by the courts.'
