A transnational money laundering syndicate is being hunted by the joint forces of the Australian Federal Police or AFP's Operation Zanella, the Australian Crime Commission or ACC, South Australian Police or SAPOL, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre or AUSTRAC and the Indian Enforcement Directorate or IED in India. There were already 13 search warrants issued for investigating individuals across the country, including Clearview and Ingle Farm in South Australia, Tapping and Harrisdale in West Australia, Lyndhurst, Templestowe, St Albans, Thomastown and East Melbourne, Victoria, Gilmore and Kambah and Chermside West in Queensland. The joint operation had so far obtained cash amounting to $73,000 in cash and volumes of electronic and financial material believed to be paper trails of the intricate money laundering.

According to a joint media statement from the agencies involved, the operation had successfully tracked a sophisticated international Alternative Remittance Services or ARS responsible in laundering millions of dollars out of Australia. The money is believed to have come from an organised crime group.

According to AFP Acting National Manager Serious and Organised Crime, David Stewart, the priority now is to stop the laundering already being done in a global scale.

"The mission is to dismantle transnational money laundering networks and prevent illegal funds from being reinvested in organised crime," Stewart said. He added that the partnership between Australia and the IED had been exceptional.

Indian Director of Enforcement had also lauded the joint operations, saying that the crackdown made in Amritsar and Delhi in India was successful. The same was echoed by ACC acting National Manager Investigations, Warren Gray.

"By working together, Australian law enforcement and regulatory agencies have effectively unearthed widespread organised criminal activity and millions of dollars that would otherwise be destined to line the pockets of criminals," Gray said in a statement.

John Schmidt, Acting CEO for AUSTRAC, highlighted its contribution in the process, saying that the agency had contributed by providing financial intelligence assessments. In the wake of its whole participation with the operation, AUSTRAC is now "considering what regulatory action should be taken arising out of this investigation," Schmidt said.

A 39-year-old man from Ingle Farm, South Australia, was already arrested and charged for violating the Criminal Code Act 1995 and the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006. A 41-year-old man from Tapping, Western Australia, was also arrested and charged for violating the Criminal Code Act 1995.