A Geraldton farmer has lost $679,750 in cash seized at Perth Airport in 2021, following a successful investigation by the AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT).
The taskforce launched its probe after an AFP canine detected two backpacks containing the cash during a routine patrol. The 52-year-old farmer had arrived from Adelaide and was waiting for a flight to Geraldton when the discovery was made.
A search of the man’s bags revealed bundles of $50 and $100 notes. The farmer claimed the money was from cash payments collected in Adelaide as part of his vegetable-growing business. He was arrested, but later released without charge while the investigation continued.
Further inquiries revealed suspicions of tax fraud linked to the man’s financial activities. In December 2021, AFP criminal assets investigators and Australian Border Force (ABF) officers executed warrants at three properties in Western Australia’s Mid-West region connected to the man.
Documents were seized, and ABF officers identified two workers breaching visa conditions. The farmer was fined $15,984 through two employer infringement notices.
The CACT found evidence suggesting the man had been concealing earnings from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The taskforce sought to restrain and forfeit the cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Cth), with the farmer not opposing the application.
On 11 November 2024, the Supreme Court of WA ordered the funds forfeited, redirecting them into programs benefiting the community.
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Fleur Jennings praised the taskforce’s collaboration in disrupting financial crimes.
“Australians who don’t pay taxes or accumulate illicit wealth unfairly enjoy lives of luxury at the expense of law-abiding citizens,” she said. “This forfeiture ensures the funds are repurposed to support crime prevention and community safety initiatives.”
The CACT is a collaboration between the AFP, Australian Border Force, ATO, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and AUSTRAC, working to trace, restrain, and confiscate criminal assets.
Confiscated assets are liquidated and deposited into the Commonwealth Confiscated Assets Account (CAA), funding initiatives such as child protection, anti-drug programs, and community safety measures.
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