Four people charged over alleged money laundering

POLICE have charged members of a suspected criminal network who have allegedly laundered $5 million through Perth banks.

Several people have been charged as part of an investigation into a suspected Vietnamese Established Criminal Network involved in money laundering activity.

It is estimated the group was involved in laundering more than $5 million since February 2019.

Police were alerted by a bank to suspicious transactions from a man and a woman over a 24-hour period on June 27 last year.

It is alleged they were visiting several banks, making cash deposits into a number of different accounts.

The man and woman were arrested a short time later and a search warrant was executed at a hotel room.

It will be alleged documents which indicated more than $180,000 worth of cash deposits had been made were found during the search.

At the time of the arrest the man was still in possession of more than $6000 cash.

The 27-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, both from Springvale, Victoria, were charged with possession of stolen or unlawfully obtained property.

Both were refused bail and have since appeared in court several times, next due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on February 21.

Police executed another search warrant at a home on French Street, Tuart Hill on August 14.

A 32-year-old woman from Bassendean and a 25-year-old man from Tuart Hill have been charged with drug and property laundering offences.

It will be alleged financial transactions totalling more than $3.3 million have been linked to the woman.

Police will allege more than 24 kilograms of cannabis material was located, packaged ready for distribution.

Several items associated with the sale or supply of prohibited drugs, amounts of methylamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine, and two firearms were allegedly found during the search.

Other items of interest to the money laundering investigation were allegedly discovered, including more than $170,000 cash.

A subsequent search warrant was executed at a residence in Aberdeen Street, Northbridge, the following day.

Police allegedly found more items of interest during the search.

The woman is next due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on February 28 while the man is next due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court today.

The investigation was conducted in conjunction with the  Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, with support from major banks ANZ, NAB, Westpac and Commonwealth Bank.