Melbourne men allegedly sought $2.5m worth of phones to be shipped to Russia and other countries
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Version 0 of 1. Victoria police say four men were charged with nearly 100 fraud and deception offences Members of a Melbourne organised crime syndicate have been charged over alleged complex frauds totalling almost $4m, including sending phones to Russia. Financial crime detectives from Victoria police arrested four men on Wednesday and charged them with almost 100 fraud and deception offences after an 18-month investigation. The quartet were alleged to have fraudulently obtained or attempted to obtain more than $2.5m worth of mobile phones that were destined to be shipped overseas, primarily to Russia. They also allegedly fraudulently obtained two mortgages and a car worth at least $1.36m. A 38-year-old man from Keilor Downs faces 37 charges of obtaining property by deception, knowingly dealing with proceeds and property suspected of crime. His alleged accomplice, a 33-year-old Taylors Lakes man, was charged with 37 counts of obtaining property by deception, three counts of gaining financial advantage by deception, dealing with proceeds of crime and three counts of dealing with property suspected to be proceeds of crime. A 32-year-old man from Sydenham was charged with negligently dealing with proceeds of crime and property suspected of being proceeds of crime. A 69-year-old Melton man also faces 12 counts of obtaining property by deception, recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime and deal property suspected proceeds of crime. All four were released on bail and were set to appear at the Melbourne magistrates court on Monday. |