Aussie police seize record $121m from crime

Australia's Gold Coast. Photo / Thinkstock

Properties in Sydney and the Gold Coast, luxury cars, a yacht and a light plane are among a record NZ$121.4 million of assets the Australia Federal Police (AFP) seized from crime during the past financial year.

The AFP said the amount confiscated from the proceeds of crime was more than double the $51 million in 2010/11 and more than five times the amount seized two years ago.

Assets include properties in Sydney and on the Gold Coast, multiple Rolls Royces, a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin, a BMW, motorcycles, yachts, a Beechcraft A36 light plane, jewellery, cash and other financial products.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said that by taking away money from organised crime the incentive to break the law was reduced.

"Big-time criminals are more afraid of losing their money than they are of going to jail," Mr Clare said in a statement today.

"In the same way the Untouchables followed the money to catch Al Capone, the money trail leads the Australian Federal Police to modern-day crooks."

Mr Clare said the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce had experienced a significant growth in seizing criminal assets.

The taskforce is led by the AFP and includes the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Crime Commission.

-AAP