A police taskforce to hunt down organized crime groups exploiting the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be established by the government in coming weeks, the NDIS Minister says.
Key points:
Australia’s criminal intelligence agency believes billions are being defrauded from the NDIS
Organized crime groups have allegedly infiltrated the disability scheme
A police taskforce will be established to expose the fraudsters
An investigation by Nine newspapers has alleged members of the Hamzy and Alameddine crime groups in Sydney and other organized criminal gangs have been rorting billions of dollars from the NDIS scheme.
The head of the Criminal Intelligence Commission, Michael Phelan, told Nine newspapers that criminals were systemically “ripping off our most vulnerable people.”
Mr Phelan said there was evidence of criminals creating fake clients, skimming money, exploiting and intimidating clients and using pharmacy employees as “spotters” to find new NDIS clients to target.
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission boss Michael Phelan says organized crime groups have infiltrated the NDIS.(AAP: Mick Tsikas)
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten gave a scathing assessment, as he announced a multi-agency taskforce would be established to track down fraudsters.
“I think they’re literally gutless cowards,” Mr Shorten told Nine this morning.
