{"id":37601,"date":"2022-03-24T11:20:01","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T22:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertynoise.co.nz\/au\/?p=37601"},"modified":"2022-03-24T11:20:01","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T22:20:01","slug":"sydney-real-estate-agents-arrested-over-scandalous-2-million-drug-fraud-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertynoise.co.nz\/au\/sydney-real-estate-agents-arrested-over-scandalous-2-million-drug-fraud-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Sydney real estate agents arrested over \u2018scandalous\u2019 $2 million drug, fraud scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOTO: Sydney, Australia FILE<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Three Sydney real estate agents are among six people who allegedly used the names of members of the public to rent houses to grow $2 million worth of cannabis and receive COVID-19 rent relief payments.<\/p>\n

NSW Police charged six people on Wednesday after dismantling a number of sophisticated hydroponic cannabis set-ups in homes in Sydney\u2019s south-west across July and August last year.<\/p>\n

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Real estate agents go naked to raise money for charity<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
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Australians suffering a raft of health conditions can now order and receive medicinal cannabis from home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

During the busts in Fairfield, police seized cannabis worth an estimated $2 million on the street.<\/p>\n

Police allege the syndicate also made several \u201clarge-scale\u201d fraudulent applications to the state government\u2019s COVID-19 Residential Tenancy Support Package scheme.<\/p>\n

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Real Estate Agents charged over alleged Covid drug lab scheme<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fairfield City police area command crime manager Luke Scott said the three real estate agents allegedly involved in the syndicate abused their employment in the industry for financial gain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be alleging these people used their position as trusted insiders in the real estate industry to defraud their own clientele and public money meant for those who need it most,\u201d Mr Scott said.<\/p>\n

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Five of the six people arrested will face Fairfield local court on Thursday.<\/span>CREDIT:<\/span>NSW POLICE<\/cite><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe properties that were allegedly utilised by this syndicate to grow cannabis were subleased to members of the public who had no idea their name was on the lease agreement, as was the case when it came to the fraudulently obtained rental relief and bond payments.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nature of this fraud is particularly scandalous and predatory; the community won\u2019t tolerate it, and those involved now have our court system to answer to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The arrests involved a 52-year-old real estate agent who was stopped by police in his vehicle at Cecil Hills about 7am on Wednesday. During a search of his vehicle, police located and seized $5000 cash and mobile phones.<\/p>\n

He was charged with 10 offences, including knowingly directing activities of a criminal group; participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity; two counts of cultivating a prohibited plant; two counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception; and two counts of knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and making and using a false document to obtain financial advantage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

READ MORE VIA SMH<\/a><\/p>\n

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