Victorian law reforms - criminals face losing their ill-gotten flashy cars and yachts

Police will be better able to seize unexplained wealth from criminals under proposed legislation. Photo / Getty Images

Organised crime bosses and career criminals face losing their ill-gotten flashy cars and yachts under Victorian law reforms.

The Victorian state Government in Australia will introduce legislation into its parliament to make it harder for criminals to use and enjoy their unexplained wealth.

Authorities can already confiscate wealth when police and prosecutors believe it has been illegally acquired, but it must be in the criminal’s name.

The legislation would create another pathway called an “unexplained wealth order”, allowing authorities to seize an asset bought in someone else’s name if they believed it was the proceeds of crime.

Consumable wealth, and wealth that has been gifted, disposed of or spent, would also be captured, the Victorian Government said.

Under the reforms, prosecutors could apply to a court for an unexplained wealth order if there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect a person’s total wealth exceeded their lawfully acquired wealth by at least A$200,000 ($215,000).

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said Victoria Police had complained about barriers to demonstrating a known crook’s wealth was connected to criminal activity.

“The onus will be flipped under this legislation. You will have to demonstrate that you obtained it by legal means,” she said.

“It’s very likely, unless they won Tattslotto and they can show their winning ticket, they probably were doing illegal activities to obtain their wealth to spend on things.”

If a person cannot satisfy a court they legally obtained their fortune, they could be ordered to pay the state the value of anything they cannot prove was lawfully acquired.

“Organised crime bosses think they can have the fancy cars, flash yachts, spend their money on hotels and strippers,” Victoria’s Police Minister Anthony Carbines said.

“If you draw attention to yourself, Victoria Police will be after to you and will be able to use their laws to crackdown and reclaim those ... ill-gotten gains.”