The first successful court case under a Joint Agency Arrangement between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has resulted in properties in Australia worth more than $4.2 million being forfeited as proceeds of crime committed by Chinese nationals.
The properties include houses in the Melbourne suburbs of Glen Waverley and Southbank, and part of a commercial facility in Oakleigh South.
It was alleged in court that the assets were listed as owned by a Chinese national operating under an assumed identity. The 32-year-old subsequently left Australia and is believed to have relocated to the Caribbean.
In a statement, the AFP said the properties were the subject of a Commonwealth restraining order made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The AFP said the proceeds of crime were related to alleged offences including dealing with property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime; providing false or misleading information to a reporting entity; and producing false or misleading documents.
It said that as six months had elapsed since the first restraining order was obtained, and in the absence of proceedings begun by the respondent, the assets were officially forfeited to the Commonwealth.
“The funds from the sale of the properties will be deposited into the Confiscated Assets Account, which is managed by the Australian Financial Security Authority on behalf of the Commonwealth,” the AFP said.
“The funds can be used to benefit the community through crime prevention, intervention or diversion programs, or other law enforcement initiatives,” it said.
