Four people alleged to be part of a money laundering syndicate, including the accused ringleader, are granted bail in a Melbourne court a week after they were arrested.
An emergency warning is in place for a fire burning at Junma Dam and All Nations Mine near Irvinebank in QLD.
Federal Police allege 37-year-old Zhuo Chen, one of the co-founders of the Changjiang Currency Exchange, pocketed millions of illegally acquired funds and used other family members' bank accounts to hide transactions. Prosecutors revealed some of the inner workings of the alleged crime syndicate, as they fought Mr Chen's bid to be released on bail, arguing he could interfere with witnesses and posed a flight risk.
Senior Constable Martin said Mr Chen had a $100,000 line of credit with a private jet company, although the officer conceded the company had since agreed to cease dealings with Mr Chen and other co-accused.During evidence, the officer said Changjiang was involved in "three interrelated conspiracies". He said there were thousands of hours of covert recordings which captured alleged illegal activity by Mr Chen, including conversations with other crime figures.
Pig butchering, also known as romance scams, involves criminals befriending victims and stealing money invested in online trading platforms, including cryptocurrency.The AFP officer said Mr Chen was captured on a phone recording saying: "We f***ing accepted about $100 million, right?" Three other alleged syndicate members, including Mr Chen's wife Jie Lu, were earlier granted bail on Thursday having spent a week in custody since the police raids.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Investigation underway after alleged attempted abduction of teen girl in MelbourneA digitally-generated image of the alleged perpetrator has been released.
Read more »
Best friend’s warning before alleged murderThe best friend of a lawyer who was allegedly killed by her partner at a Perth hotel says she voiced some concerns in recent weeks.
Read more »
Nine-year-old injured in alleged hit-and-run crash in Hawthorn, Melbourne7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Revealed: Firm where alleged tax exploitation scheme partner workedEY Australia has outed itself as the big four firm involved in a court case in which a former partner is fighting to keep his name secret.
Read more »
Alleged Conwoman Faces Court on Deceptive Conduct ChargesA woman accused of deceptive conduct appeared in court, facing charges related to alleged crimes committed between September 4 and 9. The judge banned her from stalking or attempting to locate a protected person.
Read more »
Bruce Lehrmann's lawyers receive alleged rape victim's mobile phone dataData from the phone of a woman who police allege was raped by former Liberal party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been received by his lawyers, a court has heard.
Read more »