{"id":527027,"date":"2025-03-20T14:47:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T03:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/?p=527027"},"modified":"2025-03-20T14:47:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T03:47:25","slug":"australian-federal-police-seize-rolex-watches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/luxury-lifestyle\/australian-federal-police-seize-rolex-watches","title":{"rendered":"Australian Crime Sting Uncovers $11 Million In Luxury Rolexes, Jewels And A Superyacht"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Operation Fuji recovers assets including Rolex watches, Cartier jewellery, and $500,000 in fine Australian art.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>A luxury yacht worth $800,000 and 11 Melbourne properties valued at over $8.7 million forfeited.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Crime syndicate leader George Marrogi was sentenced to 22 years for attempting to smuggle drugs.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/luxury-lifestyle\/dutch-art-heist\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crime<\/a>, as they say, doesn\u2019t pay \u2014 but it does buy an $800,000 yacht and some serious fine art; that is,  before the authorities come knocking. In a major crackdown the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afp.gov.au\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Australian Federal Police<\/a> (AFP), in collaboration with Victoria Police and the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT), has stripped a Middle Eastern crime syndicate of over $11 million AUD in luxury assets, marking another major victory under Operation Fuji.<\/p><p>The syndicate was led by George Marrogi, who was already serving a 22-year prison sentence for attempting to import 400 kilograms of illegal drugs while behind bars in Victoria\u2019s Barwon Prison.<\/p><p>Marrogi had been raking in millions through drug smuggling and illicit financial networks. But the crime boss\u2019 burgeoning empire is crumbling \u2014 first with his prison sentence, and now with the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afp.gov.au\/news-centre\/media-release\/11m-assets-forfeited-part-organised-crime-syndicate-investigation#:~:text=The%20decision%20in%20the%20Supreme,well%20as%20threats%20to%20life.\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AFP\u2019s operation<\/a> that seized high-value assets, including luxury items, valuable properties, and rare artworks that were believed to have been funded by criminal acts.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-453085057\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_130207166 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_130207166 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[300,250],[320,100],[320,180],[336,280],[640,360]],\"incontent-453085057\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_130207166.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-453085057\");});};adsQueue.push(load_130207166);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1181\" height=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-1-1181x1400.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-527028\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-1-1181x1400.jpg 1181w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-1-810x960.jpg 810w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-1-540x640.jpg 540w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-1-768x910.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-1-480x569.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Adam Cullen\u2019s painting \u2018Ned\u2019 (2010) was confiscated during Operation Fuji. Image: Australian Federal Police<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-haul-of-luxury-and-art\">A Haul of Luxury and Art<\/h2><p>The assets recovered in the operation include a luxurious yacht which has a value of $800,000, a collection of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/best-rolex-watches-men\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rolex<\/a> and Cartier timepieces worth over $75,000, and 11 luxury properties across Melbourne\u2019s elite suburbs, including Mickleham, Malvern East, Essendon, and Moonee Ponds. The real estate alone is worth more than $8.7 million.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-204776886\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1917243549 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1917243549 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-204776886\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1917243549.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-204776886\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1917243549);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>But the most interesting part of the list is a collection of five original Australian paintings, valued at $500,000, that feature heavyweights like Brett Whiteley, Ben Quilty, and Adam Cullen. Among the paintings is a portrait of outlaw icon Ned Kelly by Cullen which fetched over $67,000 and an erotic sketch page by Whiteley.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"857\" height=\"862\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-527029\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-2.png 857w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-2-636x640.png 636w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-2-768x772.png 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-2-255x256.png 255w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-2-480x483.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (min-width: 769px) 800px, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Quilty\u2019s artwork \u201cAustralian Landscape Mazda 121\u201d was also taken from the drug syndicate. Image: Australian Federal Police<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The operation also found high-end jewelry and watches, including Rolex timepieces and Cartier bracelets which are worth more than $75,000. A total of $450,000 in investment funds that were linked to a trust unit scheme were also frozen as part of the operation to make sure that not even the syndicate\u2019s financial safety nets remained intact.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-747668713\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1216040480 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1216040480 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-747668713\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1216040480.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-747668713\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1216040480);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sending-a-clear-message-nbsp\">Sending a Clear Message\u00a0<\/h2><p>Detective Superintendent Scott Raven of the AFP made it clear that the days of criminals enjoying their ill-gotten wealth are numbered by saying: \u201cThe CACT\u2019s investigators, forensic accountants, and litigation lawyers will ensure people justify how they accumulate their wealth and target any assets that are not linked to lawful sources.\u201d<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-527030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Australian-Federal-Police-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Australian Federal Police seized an $800,000 yacht as part of the organised crime crackdown. Image: Australian Federal Police<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Since July 2019, the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce has seized over $1.2 billion in criminal assets \u2014 proof that law enforcement is serious about making organized crime far less profitable. Many of the seized items, including three of the five paintings, have already been sold by the Commonwealth\u2019s Official Trustee, with proceeds going toward crime prevention and law enforcement initiatives.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Crime doesn&#8217;t pay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101118,"featured_media":527108,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[146501],"tags":[],"coauthors":[146480],"class_list":{"0":"post-527027","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-luxury-lifestyle"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/527108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=527027"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=527027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}