He works, for example, as a municipal official, he has a modest salary, he doesn't have a rich aunt in Canada, and he comes to work in a $100.000 car. Or he brags about his expensive vacations. Or suddenly she's wearing shoes that cost as much as his, or her, monthly salary.
It is a typical case that is subject to the law in "unexplained wealth" and what, even if it is the idea of the Australian authorities, citizens should report to the relevant institutions.
Campaign "Does it agree?" which was launched encourages the public to report signs of wealth, possessions or lifestyle that are inconsistent with a person's income. In other words, if you know that your neighbor is doing a mediocre or poorly paid job - you should report him if he suddenly brings a new BMW into the garage or starts throwing money around.
Under Victoria's laws on the unexplained wealth, authorities can go to court to recover property worth more than $200.000 when a person can't prove it was legally acquired. After legislative changes in 2024, in this state during fiscal year 2024-25. more than 107 million dollars were returned to the budget related to criminal activities.
In principle, it is possible to report corruption and crime in Serbia to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, the Prosecutor's Office for the Suppression of Corruption, and the police, which also has crime reporting lines.
However, cases like Vujadin Savić, whose report to the police and prosecutor's office was immediately leaked to the public - it does not really motivate citizens to respond. Because who would like to report a neighbor as a criminal, and then knock on his door tomorrow?
The seizures have already begun.
Acting Detective Constable Jennifer Locke of Victoria Police's Economic Crime Unit said the drive had already produced results across Melbourne's south-east. She confirmed that 11 offenders, who live in Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong, had various assets seized, including real estate and money.
Detective Locke also revealed that one offender, charged with drug, firearm and illegal tobacco offences, recently had two properties and an amount of cash seized during the investigation. another resident accused of sexual offenses had his property seized in order to pay restitution to the victims.
Detective Locke clarified that there is no typical profile of individuals involved in "unexplained wealth" but that they "usually exhibit high-risk behaviour".
Is this a hunt for all the rich
She dismissed concerns that the campaign could unfairly target people with legitimate wealth or reinforce stereotypes about certain communities. She explained that forensic investigators and accountants will examine all information before any action is taken.
She said community information plays an important role in identifying unexplained wealth associated with criminal activity.
"We're not asking people to determine whether a crime has occurred. We're asking them to report situations where something just doesn't feel right," she said.
Who are they Crime Stoppers
This is an NGO in Australia that citizens can contact completely anonymously to report corruption or crime.
Executive director of the organization Crime Stoppers Victoria, Stella Smith, said the campaign was designed to help Victorians recognize when something is wrong and take action.
"People involved in criminal activities often want others to see their wealth. Expensive cars, luxury goods and lavish lifestyles can sometimes be signs that something is not right," she said.
Detective Constable Locke said that theft and fraud are Schedule 2 offenses to the Confiscation Act, so any charge brought by officers for these offenses will "trigger an automatic assessment of the defendant's wealth".
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