Court documents have revealed a long list of luxury items and properties linked to a woman accused of reckless foreign interference. The woman, a Chinese national, is currently being held in custody after being denied bail last week.
During a search of her home, police said they discovered luxury handbags, designer goods, large amounts of cash, and proof of expensive purchases. Among the findings was a receipt for a Rolex watch valued at $24,000.
The documents also listed more than six Hermes handbags, one of which cost $30,000. Boxes for handbags from luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Burberry were found in such large numbers that police said they were “too numerous to count.”
Authorities further alleged that she owned, either in full or in part, several properties and vehicles. While many items were revealed, some details remain hidden due to redactions in the evidence. One concealed receipt was linked to an item worth $400,000.
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These discoveries have been presented by police as signs of “unexplained wealth,” which they believe raises serious concerns about the source of the money.
Luxury Goods and Risk of Escape
The woman’s bail was refused after the court accepted police concerns that she may try to flee the country. Documents showed that when she was arrested, officers found five suitcases packed and ready in her living room.
Police alleged she had already told an associate that she planned to leave, and the bags contained clothes prepared for international travel.
The court accepted this as part of the risk she posed, adding to the decision to keep her in custody while the investigation continues. In response, the woman denied that she had any intention of escaping.
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The alleged wealth, combined with the suitcases and her connections abroad, played a major role in the court’s ruling to keep her behind bars for now.
Secret Task to Investigate Religious Group
The court documents also outlined the allegations that the woman was working secretly for China’s Public Security Bureau from 2022 onwards. Police claimed she was tasked with covert operations designed to gather information in Australia.
Instructions were allegedly sent to her through encrypted messages on WeChat, as well as given in person. One of the major assignments, according to police, was to infiltrate a Buddhist religious group that operates in Australia but is banned in China.
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The documents stated she was told to collect details about the group’s leaders, gather addresses of past members, and take photographs of the entrances of different locations linked to the group. Police also alleged that she was asked to track and report on national chapters of the group.
The religious association, which follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, has faced restrictions in China for several years, but it is legal to practice in Australia. Its Australian leader has been barred from entering China since 2017.
Authorities said they remain concerned about the safety of people connected to the group and suggested there may be other individuals of interest linked to this case.
The woman faced the ACT Magistrates Court last week on charges of foreign interference and has since been remanded in custody by the ACT Supreme Court.
The ACT Magistrates Court, based in Canberra, is the first level of court in the territory. It deals with less serious criminal offences, traffic cases, smaller civil disputes, and family matters. More serious cases usually begin in this court before being referred to the ACT Supreme Court.
She is due to appear in court again next month.