ABCAugust 19, 2013, 11:19 am

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/18559012/gold-coast-police-crack-money-laundering-syndicate-that-used-tourists-backpackers/

Police say they have cracked a Gold Coast syndicate which used tourists and backpackers to launder money.

Detectives from the Fraud and Cyber Crime Group searched a Mermaid Waters address on Friday and Saturday.

Police allegedly found details of foreign passports and bank accounts, forged documents, counterfeit money, weapons, computers and jewellery.

Police believe a group targeted tourists and backpackers - offering them jobs and taking their passports as part of the employment process.

Information in those passports was then used to sell counterfeit jewellery and open bank accounts.

A 29-year-old man was charged with the unlawful possession of weapons, counterfeit money and instruments of forgery.

He is due to appear before the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.