http://www.bordermail.com.au
ROADSIDE rubbish has helped Wodonga police smash an international telecommunications racket worth more than $1.5 million.
Sen-Constabl e Branko Ivic, of the Wodonga divisional tasking unit, said a VicRoads employee discovered fake Indian drivers' licences, Australian Air Express parcels and Telstra invoices dumped by the Hume Freeway south of the city in December.
Subsequent investigations led police to uncover a scam with connections in Melbourne, Sydney and India.
Four Melbourne-based Indian nationals have been arrested and are expected to face 1600 charges.
"In terms of this type of scam ... it's the biggest one this place (Wodonga) has seen," Sen-Constable Ivic said.
Police allege the men had ordered high-end mobile telephones, including iPhones, Blackberrys and HTC Touch Diamonds, over the telephone from Telstra, arranging for payment using fraudulent details.
"These phones were then delivered to vacant addresses, the details of which were provided by the offenders when ordering the phones," Sen-Constable Ivic said.
"Because there was no one present to collect the package, a card was left and the package was delivered to the nearest post office for collection.
"They would then attend at the post office with fake ID and false Telstra bills as proof of identity and place of residence, at which time the package was handed over."
Sen-Constable Ivic said an Indian man had been arrested while trying to collect a fraudulently obtained iPhone from Barnawartha's post office in January.
"A search of his vehicle revealed further false Indian drivers' licences in various names, more Australian Air Express packaging, several do-it-yourself identity kits and a number of brand new iPhones," he said.
The bulk of the alleged offending was not committed in the North East; police raided several homes in Melbourne in early February, arresting the other three men and seizing computers, mobile phones, GPS units and documents.
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