Money Mules: Perth woman caught up in a mammoth global money-laundering sting

A WA woman is among nearly 2000 people caught up in a mammoth anti-money mule sting, led by 27 law enforcement agencies around the world. Eighteen Australians have been charged with money laundering offences as part of the global operation, which has also prevented $2.6 million of dirty cash being washed clean through the country’s financial institutions. A Perth woman was arrested and questioned as part of the sting in recent weeks but police are yet to determine whether she was a participant of the money-laundering scheme or a victim herself. The AFP-led Taskforce DOLOS partnered with Europol’s seventh annual global anti-money mule operation, known as European Money led to a total of 1803 arrests around the world. Twenty-seven money mules were identified in Australia, with two allegedly the head of money laundering organisations. Nine warning letters were issued to individuals not charged, urging them to cease conducting activities suspected to be associated with money laundering. Money mules, sometimes known as “smurfers”, are used by criminals to transfer money, usually cash from the proceeds of crime. Police, financial analysts and cybercrime experts from around Australia worked with the AFP to crackdown on the mules over the two-month operation. AFP Acting Commander Cybercrime Ben Case said criminals would use a wide range of tactics to convince people to launder money, including romance and job scams. “International students are a common target of money mule networks however this is a warning to everyone,” he said. “If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. If you’re being promised a pay check for simply moving money between accounts, converting money to cryptocurrency or an online romantic partner is asking you to transfer funds on their behalf, then it is more than likely a scam.” Mr Case warned mules that the money they were moving were proceeds of crime, or money stolen from hard-working Australians who may have fallen victim to a scam. ”If you know you are moving funds to assist with money laundering, you should be aware that the AFP will continue to target you and your associates,” he said. The bust comes days after a Perth mother and son caught with massive bundles of cash on the same day — by the same police investigating the Comanchero bikie gang — were jailed. Vivian Zena Armstead was seen carrying two bags of $800,000 in plastic-wrapped cash into a Northbridge health store in May, while her son Jason, 35, was caught leaving her Byford home the same day with $179,96 in the passenger footwell of his car. The sisters of self-exiled former Comanchero boss Ray Cilli, one of whom shares a child with Jason Armstead, were seen with Mrs Armstead on the day of her arrest but were not charged. During their sentencing hearing Judge Mara Barone accepted that the two crimes could not be directly linked but said Mrs Armstead’s must have suspected her cache of cash was from criminal activity. She was jailed for two years and two months. Her son was jailed for a year.