A sample of the fake jewellery reportedly used in the syndicate. Image source: news.com.au
Police crack fake jewellery outfit
2.8 k views | Posted August 19, 2013 |
By Emily Mobbs • Former Editor
Police have thwarted an organised crime syndicate that used the
identities of unwitting tourists to offload counterfeit jewellery to
gold-buying businesses.
According to multiple media reports, the criminals would offer tourists non-existent jobs in order to obtain their passports then use the documents as identification when selling fake jewellery and to open bank accounts. It is said that money was then laundered through the accounts.
Queensland police raided a Gold Coast address late last week and reportedly found foreign passport and bank account details, forged documents and materials to forge jewellery, as well as a number of weapons. Police said the fake jewellery was made by coating cheap base metals with powders and paints.
A 29-year-old man has been charged with the unlawful possession of weapons, possessing instruments of forgery and possessing counterfeit money. He is due to face the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday 22 August.
News.com.au reported that among alleged accomplices is a woman, 23, who will attend court next month.
Fraud and Cyber Crime squad superintendent Brian Hay said the scale of the alleged fraud was now at around $30,000, but that there were likely to be other precious metal buyers who unknowingly paid for the fake jewellery, according to news.com.au.
"The reality is we now have people in the precious metal industry with some of this fake gold in their possession that have no idea that they've actually purchased it," he said.
The investigation was triggered by complaints last year from some backpackers that their passports had been stolen.
Police have asked travellers that may have been targeted by the syndicate, as well as people in the precious metals industry, to come forward with any information.