Supercars being sold for a snip after cops busted Australias biggest ever tax rort
A fleet of luxury supercars previously owned by tax fraudsters will go to auction in a bid to recover some of the mammoth $105million lost to the conspiracy.
A fleet of luxury supercars previously owned by tax fraudsters will go to auction in a bid to recover some of the mammoth $105million lost to the conspiracy.
Thirty race cars, motorcycles and luxury vehicles seized from instigators of the infamous Plutus Payroll tax evasion scandal are being auctioned online by the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA).
Included in the convoy of supercars is a Porsche Cayenne GTS, which retails for $300,000, a Porsche 911 GT3, two Wolf GB08 Tornado racing cars, and a replica Ford GT40 coupe.
There will also be four go-karts, two Ducati motorcycles and a Glastron GT180 power boat available to the highest bidder.
Adam Cranston, the son of former Australian Tax Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston, spent his criminal earnings on a Cirrus SR22 single-engine aircraft and a truck to transport his GT40.
He was last year sentenced to a maximum of 15 years behind bars with his sister, Lauren Cranston, handed eight years for her lesser role in the scam.
Plutus Payroll collected money from legitimate clients and funnelled it through a web of second-tier companies instead of paying it to the tax office, siphoning a loss of $105million between 2014 and 2017.
The AFSA estimates the total value of items auctioned will exceed $700,000.
Adam Cranston, the son of former Australian Tax Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for his role in the tax evasion scheme
A Porsche Cayenne GTS, which retails for $300,000, a Porsche 911 GT3, two Wolf GB08 Tornado racing cars, and a replica Ford GT40 coupe will be auctioned online
Thirty race cars, motorcycles and luxury cars once belonging to fraudsters will be auctioned
There will also be four go-karts, two Ducati motorcycles and a Glastron GT180 power boat (pictured) available to the highest bidder
Confiscated high-end jewellery, watches, designer handbags and other luxury goods will also be auctioned.
An Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation known as Operation Elbrus, also known as the Plutus Payroll fraud, busted the fraudsters in 2021.
Police confiscated five properties, three vehicles, funds from multiple bank accounts, investment accounts and shareholdings as well as several luxury items worth almost $16million from Plutus Payroll founder Simon Anquetil.
Mr Anquetil laundered more than $28million, $12million of which he kept for himself, and was sentenced to seven and a half years in jail in 2020.
Dev Menon, 39, was also found guilty of conspiring to dishonestly cause a $11million loss to the Commonwealth and sentenced to a total of 14 years with a non-parole period of nine years.
The ATO taskforce worked with the AFP to investigate the large-scale tax fraud.
Christopher Guillan, a former finance manager, was the last of 14 offenders to be sentenced and was given four-and-a-half years behind bars in February this year.
The proceeds of the auction will go to the governments Confiscated Assets Account which will then be distributed for crime prevention, intervention or diversion programs, or other law enforcement initiatives.
