<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="_blank" title="Police"><span>Police</span></a><span> have seized over $11 million worth of art, fine jewellery, Rolex watches and a luxury yacht as part of a major organised crime syndicate bust.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Australian Federal Police-led Operation Fuji targeted a large Middle Eastern crime syndicate that allegedly had access to guns, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/drugs" rel="" target="_blank" title="imported drugs"><span>imported drugs</span></a><span> and extensive wealth.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The crime group is also accused of engaging in "threats to life," the AFP said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/north-macedonia-nightclub-fire-dozens-killed-in-massive-fire-in-kocani/f10d5a4a-0263-4861-92c0-e2e028045d77" target="_blank"><strong><span>'I don't need my life anymore': Nation rocked by worst tragedy in memory</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ongoing investigation uncovered drug import plots organised by inmates in prison.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A taskforce then looked into how syndicate members got their hands on luxury items.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Supreme Court of Victoria approved the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) to seize the assets after the court found it was "reasonable" to suspect they were proceeds of crime.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australian-federal-police-operation-police-seize-millions-in-art-yacht-and-jewellery-crime-syndicate-bust/65ca2cec-31ba-4131-af17-90af2d47ab32" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some of the seized items include an $800,000 luxury yacht, five original paintings by artists including Brett Whiteley, Fred Williams and Adam Cullen, Rolex and Cartier jewellery worth $75,000 and 11 properties around Melbourne worth $8.7 million.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These assets, and revenue from their sale, will be added to a special purpose fund that supports crime prevention and law enforcement-related measures," the AFP said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-crash-menai-father-flees/f6b0098e-ebab-4bc8-9dcc-4fc9e77a6be7" target="_blank"><strong><span>Search for dad who rolled his ute, extracted kids and fled</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>AFP Detective Superintendent Scott Raven said the seizure of $11 million worth of goods was "key to disrupting and deterring serious organised crime across the country".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The CACT's investigators, forensic accountants and litigation lawyers will ensure people justify how they accumulate their wealth and target any assets that are not linked to lawful sources," Detective Superintendent Raven said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/el-salvador-new-terrorist-prison-opens-human-rights-criticisms-first-prisoners-arrive/ff983c9c-1b3e-450e-b975-046838dc1c22" target="_blank"><strong><span>Inside the brutal foreign prison where Trump is sending 'criminals'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This prevents the bankrolling of further criminal activity and makes crime less financially lucrative.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Money remains the lifeblood of organised crime and cutting off the flow of ill-gotten finances helps prevent further harm to the community by cutting off revenue and motivation."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>CACT has seized more than $1.2 billion in criminal assets since July 2019, the AFP said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>

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