|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Police have restrained more than $650,000 in assets following the arrest of a man in Auckland last Friday as part of a Federal Bureau of Investigation inquiry.
Detective Inspector Christiaan Barnard says the Wellington-based man appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday for his alleged involvement in an organised criminal group that stole cryptocurrency valued at $450 million from seven victims.
“The Wellington High Court has now issued restraining orders under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 for assets valued at $670,000 including cash held in bank accounts, cash held in a lawyer’s trust account for the purchase of a property, cryptocurrency, and high-value goods.
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in the United States to recover assets alleged to have been stolen by the organised criminal group.”
The man has interim name suppression.
Barnard said last week the man was arrested by the police’s Financial Crime Group on May 16.
“Between March and August 2024, the cryptocurrency is alleged to have been fraudulently obtained by manipulating the victims and subsequently laundered through multiple cryptocurrency platforms.
“Over the past three days, search warrants have been executed in Auckland, Wellington, and California with several people arrested, including one in New Zealand.
“A total of 13 people are facing charges. The Wellington man has been indicted by the US Department of Justice under US Federal law with charges of racketeering (RICO), conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.”
It’s alleged the defendants scammed seven victims, spending the stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, $9 million of exotic cars, hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury handbags, watches and clothing, nightclub services and private security guards and rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons and Miami.
“We’ve worked closely with our law enforcement colleagues in the United States in support of their investigation,” Barnard says.
“Today’s search warrant and arrest reflect the importance of international partnerships where criminals are operating across borders.”
