Latest news with #MercedesAMG
Auto Blog
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Lexus IS 500 Climax Edition Marks End of V8 Compact Sedan
Add this to the long list of weird car names The last compact sedan with a V8 engine really is on its way out. After Mercedes-AMG killed the V8 in the C63, the Lexus IS 500 was the last sedan of this size to retain a V8, but it seems this characterful Lexus won't be around for much longer, both in America and beyond. A few weeks ago, Lexus announced the IS 500 Ultimate Edition, a run of just 500 models that will be sold in North America. Now, it's Japan's turn to say goodbye to this sedan with the IS 500 Climax Edition. As far as car names go, this one can be thrown into the same box as the Daihatsu Naked and Ford Probe. Awkward name aside, this special edition is likely to become something of a collector's item in the years ahead. 0:03 / 0:09 Thinking about buying a Toyota RAV4? These 5 rivals might change your mind Watch More Sporty Styling Upgrades Much like our own Ultimate Edition, the Climax Edition will feature 19-inch forged BBS wheels in a sinister matte black finish. These partially conceal upgraded Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers. To match the black trim, special Neutrino Gray paint has been introduced for this model, which is inspired by neutrinos. If you also had no clue what those are, they're elementary particles produced in outer space, where they move at the speed of light. Eight other colors will be available for the Climax Edition, though. Inside, Lexus Japan has hilariously added several IS 500 'Climax Edition' plaques, not that anyone owning this car would forget what it's called. A red and black color scheme adds to the raunchy look, and even the analog clock in the center of the dashboard gets a new background. Familiar Power, Epic Soundtrack Nothing has changed under the hood, not that it had to. Producing 472 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque, the rear-wheel-drive IS 500 can run from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds. That time is no longer earth-shattering, but it's accompanied by a soundtrack that no rival can match. Keep your foot planted, and the fastest IS will reach 149 mph. Paddle shifters can be used to take manual control over the eight-speed automatic transmission. In Japan, the IS 500 Climax Edition goes for 9,500,000 yen, which is equivalent to around $65,000. It's set to go on sale in August, and America's own Ultimate Edition will go on sale later this fall. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Doubts after 'unprecedented' arrests over luxury fakes
Three men accused of running a multimillion-dollar fake luxury goods empire have been bailed after a lawyer's extraordinary claim governments may be complicit by receiving tax on their sales. Brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, have been charged over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. When police raided their homes on Wednesday, they seized high-end cars including a Mercedes AMG and Lamborghinis. But as a bail hearing resumed on Friday the trio's lawyers maintained it was unclear what crime the accused men had committed. The federal government might be "aiding and abetting" or "conspiring" with the men by taking their income tax, Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland alleged. While police have said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, that figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents indicate the alleged offences - which include dealing with the proceeds of crime - only took place from 2022. There had also been no concealment of business activity, lawyers argued. Mr Boland told Parramatta Local Court the decision to charge his client was "unprecedented" because police did not make more of an effort to shut down counterfeit sales at markets. "If it's really criminal to import these items, to sell them and to knowingly import these items, you shouldn't be able to walk into a market ... and buy them," he told the court. "There's no government information to that effect, just a suburban police station laying a charge." There were no allegations of fraud, but a breach of intellectual property made by police, rather than brand owners, Mr Boland argued. "It's not clear the brand owners even know or care," he said. Describing the strength of the prosecution case as "moderate", Magistrate Emma Manea bailed the trio on strict conditions. She found issues surrounding the date range of the alleged offending, along with what type of offence underpinned their dealing with proceeds of crime charges. Bail conditions included paying a $50,000 surety, reporting to a police station twice a day, not using social media and not associating with one another. During their raids earlier this week, officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches - all imported from China - across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said. Three men accused of running a multimillion-dollar fake luxury goods empire have been bailed after a lawyer's extraordinary claim governments may be complicit by receiving tax on their sales. Brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, have been charged over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. When police raided their homes on Wednesday, they seized high-end cars including a Mercedes AMG and Lamborghinis. But as a bail hearing resumed on Friday the trio's lawyers maintained it was unclear what crime the accused men had committed. The federal government might be "aiding and abetting" or "conspiring" with the men by taking their income tax, Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland alleged. While police have said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, that figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents indicate the alleged offences - which include dealing with the proceeds of crime - only took place from 2022. There had also been no concealment of business activity, lawyers argued. Mr Boland told Parramatta Local Court the decision to charge his client was "unprecedented" because police did not make more of an effort to shut down counterfeit sales at markets. "If it's really criminal to import these items, to sell them and to knowingly import these items, you shouldn't be able to walk into a market ... and buy them," he told the court. "There's no government information to that effect, just a suburban police station laying a charge." There were no allegations of fraud, but a breach of intellectual property made by police, rather than brand owners, Mr Boland argued. "It's not clear the brand owners even know or care," he said. Describing the strength of the prosecution case as "moderate", Magistrate Emma Manea bailed the trio on strict conditions. She found issues surrounding the date range of the alleged offending, along with what type of offence underpinned their dealing with proceeds of crime charges. Bail conditions included paying a $50,000 surety, reporting to a police station twice a day, not using social media and not associating with one another. During their raids earlier this week, officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches - all imported from China - across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said. Three men accused of running a multimillion-dollar fake luxury goods empire have been bailed after a lawyer's extraordinary claim governments may be complicit by receiving tax on their sales. Brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, have been charged over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. When police raided their homes on Wednesday, they seized high-end cars including a Mercedes AMG and Lamborghinis. But as a bail hearing resumed on Friday the trio's lawyers maintained it was unclear what crime the accused men had committed. The federal government might be "aiding and abetting" or "conspiring" with the men by taking their income tax, Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland alleged. While police have said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, that figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents indicate the alleged offences - which include dealing with the proceeds of crime - only took place from 2022. There had also been no concealment of business activity, lawyers argued. Mr Boland told Parramatta Local Court the decision to charge his client was "unprecedented" because police did not make more of an effort to shut down counterfeit sales at markets. "If it's really criminal to import these items, to sell them and to knowingly import these items, you shouldn't be able to walk into a market ... and buy them," he told the court. "There's no government information to that effect, just a suburban police station laying a charge." There were no allegations of fraud, but a breach of intellectual property made by police, rather than brand owners, Mr Boland argued. "It's not clear the brand owners even know or care," he said. Describing the strength of the prosecution case as "moderate", Magistrate Emma Manea bailed the trio on strict conditions. She found issues surrounding the date range of the alleged offending, along with what type of offence underpinned their dealing with proceeds of crime charges. Bail conditions included paying a $50,000 surety, reporting to a police station twice a day, not using social media and not associating with one another. During their raids earlier this week, officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches - all imported from China - across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said. Three men accused of running a multimillion-dollar fake luxury goods empire have been bailed after a lawyer's extraordinary claim governments may be complicit by receiving tax on their sales. Brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, have been charged over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. When police raided their homes on Wednesday, they seized high-end cars including a Mercedes AMG and Lamborghinis. But as a bail hearing resumed on Friday the trio's lawyers maintained it was unclear what crime the accused men had committed. The federal government might be "aiding and abetting" or "conspiring" with the men by taking their income tax, Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland alleged. While police have said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, that figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents indicate the alleged offences - which include dealing with the proceeds of crime - only took place from 2022. There had also been no concealment of business activity, lawyers argued. Mr Boland told Parramatta Local Court the decision to charge his client was "unprecedented" because police did not make more of an effort to shut down counterfeit sales at markets. "If it's really criminal to import these items, to sell them and to knowingly import these items, you shouldn't be able to walk into a market ... and buy them," he told the court. "There's no government information to that effect, just a suburban police station laying a charge." There were no allegations of fraud, but a breach of intellectual property made by police, rather than brand owners, Mr Boland argued. "It's not clear the brand owners even know or care," he said. Describing the strength of the prosecution case as "moderate", Magistrate Emma Manea bailed the trio on strict conditions. She found issues surrounding the date range of the alleged offending, along with what type of offence underpinned their dealing with proceeds of crime charges. Bail conditions included paying a $50,000 surety, reporting to a police station twice a day, not using social media and not associating with one another. During their raids earlier this week, officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches - all imported from China - across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
Perth Now
14 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Doubts after 'unprecedented' arrests over luxury fakes
Three men accused of running a multimillion-dollar fake luxury goods empire have been bailed after a lawyer's extraordinary claim governments may be complicit by receiving tax on their sales. Brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, have been charged over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. When police raided their homes on Wednesday, they seized high-end cars including a Mercedes AMG and Lamborghinis. But as a bail hearing resumed on Friday the trio's lawyers maintained it was unclear what crime the accused men had committed. The federal government might be "aiding and abetting" or "conspiring" with the men by taking their income tax, Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland alleged. While police have said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, that figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents indicate the alleged offences - which include dealing with the proceeds of crime - only took place from 2022. There had also been no concealment of business activity, lawyers argued. Mr Boland told Parramatta Local Court the decision to charge his client was "unprecedented" because police did not make more of an effort to shut down counterfeit sales at markets. "If it's really criminal to import these items, to sell them and to knowingly import these items, you shouldn't be able to walk into a market ... and buy them," he told the court. "There's no government information to that effect, just a suburban police station laying a charge." There were no allegations of fraud, but a breach of intellectual property made by police, rather than brand owners, Mr Boland argued. "It's not clear the brand owners even know or care," he said. Describing the strength of the prosecution case as "moderate", Magistrate Emma Manea bailed the trio on strict conditions. She found issues surrounding the date range of the alleged offending, along with what type of offence underpinned their dealing with proceeds of crime charges. Bail conditions included paying a $50,000 surety, reporting to a police station twice a day, not using social media and not associating with one another. During their raids earlier this week, officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches - all imported from China - across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
West Australian
14 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Doubts after 'unprecedented' arrests over luxury fakes
Three men accused of running a multimillion-dollar fake luxury goods empire have been bailed after a lawyer's extraordinary claim governments may be complicit by receiving tax on their sales. Brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, have been charged over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. When police raided their homes on Wednesday, they seized high-end cars including a Mercedes AMG and Lamborghinis. But as a bail hearing resumed on Friday the trio's lawyers maintained it was unclear what crime the accused men had committed. The federal government might be "aiding and abetting" or "conspiring" with the men by taking their income tax, Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland alleged. While police have said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, that figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents indicate the alleged offences - which include dealing with the proceeds of crime - only took place from 2022. There had also been no concealment of business activity, lawyers argued. Mr Boland told Parramatta Local Court the decision to charge his client was "unprecedented" because police did not make more of an effort to shut down counterfeit sales at markets. "If it's really criminal to import these items, to sell them and to knowingly import these items, you shouldn't be able to walk into a market ... and buy them," he told the court. "There's no government information to that effect, just a suburban police station laying a charge." There were no allegations of fraud, but a breach of intellectual property made by police, rather than brand owners, Mr Boland argued. "It's not clear the brand owners even know or care," he said. Describing the strength of the prosecution case as "moderate", Magistrate Emma Manea bailed the trio on strict conditions. She found issues surrounding the date range of the alleged offending, along with what type of offence underpinned their dealing with proceeds of crime charges. Bail conditions included paying a $50,000 surety, reporting to a police station twice a day, not using social media and not associating with one another. During their raids earlier this week, officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches - all imported from China - across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
What's the crime, say accused $10m fake merch dealers
A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail. Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts. The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail. While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said. "The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi. The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said. Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking. There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said. Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case. Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men. There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told. While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022. Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday. Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case. Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. "These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said. "It was a very professional outfit." Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. "They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said. A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail. Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts. The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail. While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said. "The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi. The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said. Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking. There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said. Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case. Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men. There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told. While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022. Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday. Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case. Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. "These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said. "It was a very professional outfit." Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. "They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said. A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail. Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts. The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail. While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said. "The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi. The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said. Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking. There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said. Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case. Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men. There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told. While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022. Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday. Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case. Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. "These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said. "It was a very professional outfit." Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. "They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said. A trio of men accused of running a $10 million fake luxury goods empire at the same time as some received Centrelink benefits have questioned why they're being thrown in jail. Police raided the Sydney homes of brothers Ahmad Kase Siddiqi, 30, and Ahmad Jawade Siddiqi, 33, as well as Shadi Skaf, 30, on Wednesday, over the sale of everything from counterfeit Rolex watches to Cartier bracelets and Louis Vuitton bags. Officers seized nine cars including several Lamborghinis and a Mercedes AMG worth a combined value of about $3 million in the busts. The trio appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, when they applied for bail. While each man had been hit with a number of charges, including dealing with the proceeds of crime, police had been unable to say what crime was actually committed, their lawyer said. "The question is what is the relevant offence," said barrister Philip Strickland SC, representing Skaf and Kase Siddiqi. The mere import and selling of goods was not a crime, while a jail term was unlikely if anyone was only found guilty of breaching trademark laws, he said. Jawade Siddiqi's barrister Steven Boland argued the case was unlike other alleged offenders charged with earning money from activities such as drug trafficking. There was "nothing surreptitious" about what the 33-year-old had done and there had been no concealment of any business activity, he said. Outside court, Jawade Siddiqi's solicitor Chaddy Mardini declined to comment on the matter apart from saying it was "not a garden-variety" case. Police prosecutors pressed for the trio to remain behind bars, pointing to a strong case that involved large amounts of funds being transferred into the personal bank accounts of the three men. There was a risk the men would not appear in court and could flee the country as they had access to sizeable sums of money, magistrate Emma Manea was told. While police said the scheme netted about $9.75 million in profits, the figure came from bank records stretching back to 2017. Court documents said the alleged offences only took place from 2022. Ms Manea will hand down her bail decision on Friday. Organised Crime Squad commander Peter Faux revealed earlier on Thursday that a delivery van "full of fake goods" pulled up as police were executing a search warrant in the case. Officers confiscated a cache of more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, such as handbags, sneakers and watches all imported from China, across three sites. More than $250,000 in cash and a gel blaster firearm were also seized. "These three premises looked like a department store when you went inside of them, with all the goods that were set up," Detective Superintendent Faux said. "It was a very professional outfit." Fake watches of "extremely good quality" that resembled genuine articles worth more than $20,000 were sold to customers for $800 apiece, police said. Police allege more than one of the trio was receiving Centrelink payments while benefiting from the proceeds of their crimes. "They're living an extremely luxurious lifestyle, they're flaunting that lifestyle, they're driving up and down their streets in cars worth in excess of a million (dollars)," Det Supt Faux said. The allegedly tainted assets were now under the control of the NSW Crime Commission, its executive director said.
