Tue, Mar 4th, 2014

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/man-surrenders-over-bikierelated-money-laundering-20140304-34563.html

A Gold Coast man has handed himself in to police over a bikie-related money laundering scheme that allegedly fleeced $1.4 million from "mum and dad" investors.

The 30-year-old Gold Coast man, who fronted police on Tuesday, is accused of engaging the services of outlaw bikies to help set up the alleged scam.

The group allegedly set up a fake business called M6 Security Group based on a legitimate Western Australia-based business called M6 Security and targeted "mum and dad" investors looking to invest their superannuation.

Two men with links to the Black Ulhans and Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gangs allegedly helped clone the website of the real investment company and set up close to 40 call centres on the Gold Coast.

The call centre operators were apparently unaware they were duping investors into handing their hard-earned savings to a fake company.

Four men have now been arrested over the alleged scam by the Criminal Economy Unit from within anti-bikie Taskforce Maxima.

Police are also investigating 11 other companies, which have attracted close to $10 million in investments that may be linked to the scam.

"The arrest of the man is by no means the end of these investigations; it merely forms part of a great investigative strategy,” Detective Inspector Phillip Stevens of Taskforce Maxima said.

“These types of frauds have a serious impact on the general community with victims investing large sums of money only to lose the vast majority of it.

"These actions clearly reflect the Queensland Police Service's commitment to disrupting and dismantling the criminal activities of these gangs, with the goal of driving them from Queensland."