A self-proclaimed fortune-teller and feng shui master, Anya Phan, 53, has been charged in connection with an alleged £70m money-laundering syndicate operating across Sydney. New South Wales police arrested Phan and her 25-year-old daughter, Thi Ta, at a property in Dover Heights on Wednesday.
Police allege Phan exploited vulnerable members of the Vietnamese community by convincing them to take out loans based on her prediction that a 'billionaire' would enter their lives. She then took a share of the loans, with each victim allegedly providing her with at least £150,000. Investigators say the scheme totalled nearly £70m, with an additional £15m in assets frozen by the NSW Crime Commission.
Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja, commander of the financial crimes squad, said Phan preyed on people in financial hardship. 'She convinced these vulnerable people to become a mule in the criminal syndicate,' he alleged. Phan, who arrived in Australia in 2001 and became a citizen, reportedly received disability support payments for over 20 years while living in a property with monthly repayments of £56,000 and being a VIP casino customer.
Police seized financial documents, mobile phones, electronics, luxury handbags, a 40-gram gold bar worth £10,000, and £6,600 in casino chips. Phan was charged with 39 offences, including knowingly directing activities of a criminal group, dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime. She was refused bail and is due to appear in court on 15 January.
The investigation began with Strike Force Myddleton, which uncovered the alleged use of stolen personal information to apply for loans for non-existent luxury cars. Detective Superintendent Arbinja described it as 'one of the most sophisticated financial crime syndicates' he had seen. Police have arrested 17 people so far and are pursuing professional facilitators, including lawyers, accountants, and property developers.
