This Month
Billion-dollar AFP busts reveal what criminals do with their money
A police taskforce has seized more than $1.1 billion worth of assets from alleged criminals, including fancy houses, fast cars, designer gear and bags of cash.
- Patrick Durkin
October
Inside the secret Accenture team trying to hack the banks
Jason Ford and his “red teams” have been breaking into banks by fooling workers with the latest psychological tricks targeting the human foibles that leave IT defences vulnerable.
- James Eyers
- Exclusive
- AUSTRAC
Ex-ANZ employee among suspects in huge money-laundering ring
The Australian Financial Review can reveal a former ANZ employee is among seven ringleaders accused of running Australia’s biggest money-laundering operation.
- Patrick Durkin and Lucas Baird
‘Shiny shopfronts’ led police to bust $10b Chinese crime ring
Seven people have been arrested in connection to an alleged Chinese money laundering ring whose operators were said to lead lives of luxury.
- Patrick Durkin
- Exclusive
- NZ election
Why NZ’s likely new PM channels Mark McGowan
The man widely tipped to become New Zealand’s next prime minister says he’s looked to Australia to develop many of his signature policies.
- Tom Rabe
August
Food spurs Woolies growth, but toasters off the menu
The supermarket group says food price inflation is easing, but sales at its discount chain softened dramatically in the fourth quarter.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
Illegal tobacco, rising cigarette prices dent supermarket profits
Master Grocers Association chief David Inall says illicit tobacco is a significant concern for its 2700 members, mostly independent grocery and liquor stores.
- Carrie LaFrenz
July
Plutus lawyer jailed nine years for ‘biggest tax fraud’
Dev Menon’s abuse of his professional status and the trust placed in it exacerbated his persistent course of conduct throughout his involvement.
- Jack Gramenz
June
Corrupt lawyer in Plutus tax fraud ‘abused trust’
Prosecutors are gunning for a stiff sentence for a senior conspirator in the $105 million Plutus tax fraud, saying his status as a lawyer made his offending worse.
- David Marin-Guzman
May
Lauren Cranston jailed for eight years for Plutus tax fraud
The daughter of a former deputy tax commissioner has been sentenced to eight years in prison for her role in one of Australia’s largest tax frauds after the judge found she showed no remorse.
- Updated
- David Marin-Guzman
April
Accountants, estate agents may have to report dirty cash suspicions
As many as 100,000 accountants, lawyers and real estate agents look set to be required by law to report suspicious financial transactions to authorities.
- Tom McIlroy
March
Obeid lawyer jailed over Plutus blackmail
Controversial Sydney lawyer Sevag Chalabian has been sentenced to up to 12 years prison for laundering $24 million in blackmail money in relation to the Plutus tax fraud.
- David Marin-Guzman and Neil Chenoweth
Myer working with undercover cops to stem theft
Retailers across Australia are dealing with increased rates of theft, including from organised crime groups.
- Carrie LaFrenz
February
- Opinion
- Gaming & wagering
There are ethical ways to live with the thrill of gambling
The fun of betting on uncertain outcomes is not a problem. But addiction, organised crime and ubiquity make excessive gaming a social ill that needs a policy fix.
- Simon Longstaff
October 2022
Worried about getting hacked? Here are the latest extortion methods
As pernicious as the Optus data breach is, companies face even greater threats from hackers as they find more sophisticated ways to profit from crime.
- Sally Patten
July 2022
How Kim Jong-un uses crypto to hack through the pandemic
Poor, isolated and heavily sanctioned, Kim Jong Un’s regime has turned to lucrative cryptocurrency heists to raise funds, snagging $US620 million in April alone.
- Choe Sang-Hun and David Yaffe-Bellany
April 2022
AUSTRAC wants banks to identify, report suspicious crypto activity
Banks have been given lists of behavioural indicators suggesting customers may be using crypto to launder money or purchase illicit products on the darknet.
- James Eyers
February 2022
How I went from spying on the Mafia to studying its history
Former undercover cop Colin McLaren spent years researching the origins of the organisation he risked his life to bring to justice.
- Colin McLaren
November 2021
Lawyers and accountants ‘helping organised crime’
White collar “gatekeepers” are helping organised criminals launder hundreds of millions of dollars in and out of Australia, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has warned.
- John Kehoe and Patrick Durkin
June 2021
Top tax cop warns about organised crime recruiting professionals
The nation’s top tax crime fighter has warned about the recruitment of lawyers, currency and tax professionals into sophisticated criminal networks.
- Duncan Hughes
