Four people charged after allegedly defrauding NDIS of $2 million
Four people have been charged in Sydney's west for allegedly defrauding the National Disability Insurance Scheme of more than $2 million.
Search warrants were carried out across four locations in western Sydney yesterday where four people were arrested by Australian Federal Police officers.
The group allegedly has links to Middle Eastern organised crime, the NDIS said.
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The arrests come after an investigation by the NDIS Fraud Taskforce. NDIS
Three of the individuals, including two women aged 37 and 32 and a 27-year-old man, were allegedly working as disability service providers.
The group has been charged with wrongfully claiming money from NDIS participants where services were not received.
They appeared before court yesterday.
A fourth man, aged 62, was charged with allegedly dealing in the proceeds of crime.
He is due to appear at court today.
"It is also alleged the people arrested threatened violence towards participants and witnesses, and have been charged with offences including conspiracy to defraud and general dishonesty," the NDIS said in a statement.
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AFP officers and NDIS fraud officers carried out searches in four western Sydney properties. NDIS
AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan called the incident a targeted attack against Australians living with a disability.
"Members of our community have allegedly been targeted, exploited and threatened by groups looking to fill their own pockets and steal public funds that have been set aside for Australians who need that support," Ryan said.
"The AFP will not stop in its pursuit of these groups who chop and change companies in a pointless effort to hide their criminal behaviour from law enforcement."
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