Designer bags land woman behind bars in Operation Protego
An Operation Protego investigation has landed a luxury spender with a sentence of two years and eight months in prison.
Last Friday, a 44-year-old woman was sentenced to over two years behind bars for dealing with the proceeds of an indictable crime, contrary to section 134.2(1) of the Criminal Code.
The sentenced woman, Thitikorn Thanawong, was found to have illegally obtained GST refunds which were used to purchase designer branded items from Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent and Gucci, ski holiday expenses and direct transfers to associates.
According to the Tax Office, Thanawong would be released on a Recognisance Release Order after serving 10 months, upon entering recognisance of $2,000 and to be of good behaviour for two years.
In the Operation Protego investigation, it was found the woman had registered for an Australian business number for an aromatic massage oil manufacturing business, which was then registered for GST once an associate was provided with the myGov login details.
Between November 2021 and March 2024, nine fraudulent business activity statements were lodged to claim GST credits which resulted in Thanawong receiving $296,212 in GST refunds.
The investigation also found that in June 2022, an ATO audit showed no business-related transactions in Thanawong’s bank accounts, and she was unable to produce any records to substantiate the claims in the activity statements.
From this, the ATO said it concluded Thanawong’s business did not exist and she was not entitled to any GST credits.
ATO deputy commissioner John Ford said he wanted to remind the community to be aware of GST fraud schemes, such as ones advertised on social media.
“If something seems too good to be true, then it most likely is. If you see someone advertising a quick way to get a loan from the ATO, this is fraud,” he said.
“GST fraud takes away funds that could have been used to support essential community services such as healthcare, infrastructure and education.”
“Engaging in this behaviour will not be tolerated, and we will ensure that those who choose to are held to account.”
Operation Protego was first initiated in response to widespread GST fraud and includes compliance and debt recovery actions, as well as criminal investigations which have led to jail sentences for serious offenders.
The ATO said through Operation Protego it had taken action against more than 57,000 alleged offenders, with up to $300 million in penalties having been dealt.
As of 31 October 2024, 104 people had been arrested, 72 people had been convicted with sentencing outcomes, and 60 investigations had been finalised as well as 51 briefs of evidence referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
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