Gang accused of selling Australian baby formula to China as a front for huge drug cartel
Over $1million in cash has been seized after a gang was busted for allegedly selling baby formula as a front to move drug money.
Three men were arrested across suburban Sydney on Monday in
connection with the alleged international money-laundering syndicate.
Police seized the cash packed into supermarket cooler bags
outside a western Sydney daigou, a business which re-sells Australian goods to
China.
Wang Wuchen, 37, from Carlingford, was arrested outside the
daigou in Auburn while allegedly delivering the money as the group’s
‘cash-collector’.
Ma Jiyuan, 40, from Dundas Valley, was arrested after
leaving a pub in Ermington and was alleged to be the coordinator of the money
laundering operation.
The pair appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday and
were accused of laundering $28.4million for offshore Australian crime figures,
The Daily Telegraph reported.
Wang was charged with recklessly risking money as an
instrument of crime.
The court heard that $1.2million was found during a raid on his
home.
Ma was charged with intending money as an instrument of
crime and failing to comply with an order.
Wang and Ma were allegedly identified as part of a joint
investigation between the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the
United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
Police will allege the two Sydney men funnelled millions of
dollars through the daigou business, from the sale of drugs, on behalf of their
criminal clients.
Thomas Keogh, 21, was also arrested in southwest Sydney on
Monday and was passing the bags of cash
onto Wang to be laundered.
Keogh was charged with recklessly dealing with the proceeds
of crime and dealing with property proceeds of crime.
He remains in custody after he was refused bail in Fairfield
Local Court on Tuesday.
A joint investigation between the Australian Federal Police,
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and NSW Police will continue into
the alleged moving of illicit drug profits through daigous.
Police claim money laundering operations often funnel dirty
money through the cash-intensive daigous to avoid Australian authorities.
Investigations are ongoing into whether the daigou operators
were aware their business was being used to move illegitimate funds.
Wang and Ma were both refused bail and court documents
revealed Ma did not admit to any offence during his police interview.
Magistrate Tim Keady said Wang played a ‘small but important
part’ in the money laundering syndicate.
‘There are very large amounts of money involved and multiple
alleged participants.
‘He has offered no explanation as to how he allegedly came
to be in possession of the $1.2 million,’ Mr Keady said.
Wang and Ma are set to face Parramatta Local Court in October.
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