Two sports cars worth more than $1 million are among a treasure trove of property and designer accessories seized after an investigation into unexplained wealth.
The joint operation by the NSW Crime Commission and police followed the introduction of tough proceeds-of-crime laws, which effectively forced alleged criminals to prove items were not bought with ill-gotten gains.
Investigators on Thursday carried out raids at a series of properties in the city's inner west and southwest suburbs, taking cars and items worth a combined $7 million after a probe into the activities of one man in Sydney's west.
Investigations revealed the man owned a large amount of high-end property that police will allege are the proceeds of crime.
At one property in Padstow, police seized more than a dozen luxury handbags from brands including Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, as well as several designer "man bags" and high-end watches.
A 2021 Lamborghini Aventador sports car - worth about $1 million - was taken from a property at Drummoyne, while a 2018 McLaren coupe was seized at Bankstown, along with other cars.
Police also found gold bullion worth an estimated $80,000 at Yagoona.
Electronic devices and documents were seized in the raids for further examination.
NSW Crime Commission executive director Darren Bennett said the seizures came from a man who was involved in some businesses, but there was not enough activity in those firms to explain the extent of his assets.
"It's now over to him to show us how he lawfully obtained those items and we'll be putting our argument and our evidence towards the fact that he didn't," he said on Friday.
The NSW government earlier this year passed laws that allowed police to more easily claim assets reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
Those regulations effectively reversed the onus on alleged gangland bosses, who would need to prove the property was bought using legitimate earnings.
Police do not need to charge suspects with a specific offence to seize property or freeze other assets.
NSW Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux said the new powers meant police could come down harder on organised criminals.
“The big players tend to enjoy the wealth whilst keeping their heads down and their hands clean, but now we have the authority to put them before a court to show us how they made their money - something many of them will struggle to do," he said.
"These people who may not have historically been looking over their shoulder because they weren't touching the drugs, they weren't directly involved in the crime - well now unfortunately they will have to look over their shoulders."
