Detectives from Victoria Police’s Taskforce Hawk have charged three men in connection with an alleged $6.6 million extortion plot targeting a Melbourne construction company.
The charges follow an extensive investigation into claims that the men falsely presented themselves as mediators between the company and union officials, allegedly asserting that they had negotiated to prevent disruptions at the company’s worksites.
Investigators allege the company later received an invoice for $6.6 million, which became the basis of the extortion attempt.
Police executed three search warrants across Melbourne on Thursday, 23 October, with support from the Clandestine Laboratory Squad, Major Drug Squad, and the Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF).
A 51-year-old Melbourne man, a 45-year-old Southbank man, and a 45-year-old Hillside man have each been charged with extortion and refusing to comply with a data access order. The Southbank man faces an additional charge of attempting to obtain property by deception.
All three men have been bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 28 October for a filing hearing.
Police confirmed the investigation remains ongoing.
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