Two people have been charged after detectives seized luxury cars, jewellery and a cache of wine during a probe into an alleged $10 million fraud on an automotive group.
NSW Police on Thursday revealed a seven-month investigation had uncovered a group allegedly using stolen information from more than 30 people to buy luxury cars that did not exist.
One alleged participant, Antonia Suntsova, was arrested in May following a search of a home at Middleton Grange in southwest Sydney.
The 31-year-old was charged with 102 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
According to court documents seen by AAP, she allegedly issued millions of dollars of fraudulent loans to Toyota and Volkswagen and claimed sales commissions off those loans from McCarroll Automotive Group in the Sydney suburb of Artarmon.
She was also hit with one count of possessing a prohibited drug after police allegedly found 31 grams of magic mushrooms at the Middleton Grange home on the day of her arrest.
Suntsova has been granted strict conditional bail and will next appear at Downing Centre Local Court on October 3.
Following further investigations, detectives searched a home in Carlingford and a warehouse unit in Alexandria in the early hours of Wednesday.
They seized a Tesla sedan, a Mercedes Benz van, multiple Rolex watches, large amounts of luxury jewellery, and an estimated $200,000 worth of wine and other alcohol.
A 40-year-old man, Peng Bian, was arrested at the property and later charged with three counts of recklessly dealing with the proceeds of general crime with intent to conceal, participating in a criminal group and recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime greater than $5000.
His application for bail was refused at Burwood Local Court on Thursday and he will next appear at Parramatta Local Court on September 26.
Detectives will allege in court that Bian made a number of fraudulent applications through the woman, who used her position as an employee at the automotive financing business, to approve financing to the value of $600,000.
Police further allege he attempted to launder the money through various bank accounts.
Suntsova went on to facilitate transactions relating to more than 50 luxury vehicles, worth a combined $10 million, between November 2022 and August 2023, police allege.
Financial Crime Squad commander Gordon Arbinja warned further arrests were imminent.
“We have several more targets allegedly involved in this criminal syndicate that we are interested in and want those victims of this syndicate to know more arrests are coming," he said.
“No one should receive a letter in the mail saying they owe tens of thousands of dollars for a car they have never seen.”
