Section 229 Customs Act 1901
Proceeds of Drug Trafficking

229A Proceeds of drug trafficking liable to forfeiture

(1) In this section, unless the contrary intention appears:
cheque includes a bill, promissory note or other security for money.
goods includes cheques, but does not include moneys in the form of cash.
moneys means moneys in the form of cash.

(2) This section applies to:
(a) moneys or goods in the possession or under the control of a person, being moneys or goods that came into his or her possession or under his or her control by reason of:
(i) the person selling or otherwise dealing in, or agreeing to sell or otherwise deal in, narcotic goods imported into Australia in contravention of this Act; or
(ii) the person importing, or agreeing to import, narcotic goods into Australia in contravention of this Act; or
(iii) the person exporting, or agreeing to export, narcotic goods from Australia in contravention of this Act; or
(iv) the person keeping or having kept, or agreeing to keep, in his or her possession narcotic goods imported into Australia in contravention of this Act; or
(v) the person conspiring with another person or other persons to import any narcotic goods into Australia in contravention of this Act or to export any narcotic goods from Australia in contravention of this Act; or
(vi) the person aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring, or being in any way knowingly concerned in, the sale of, or other dealing in, narcotic goods imported into Australia in contravention of this Act, the importation of narcotic goods into Australia in contravention of this Act, the exportation of narcotic goods from Australia in contravention of this Act or the keeping in the possession of any person of narcotic goods imported into Australia in contravention of this Act;
(b) moneys in the possession or under the control of a person that were paid to him or her for the sale of goods that were, immediately before the sale, goods to which this section applied; and
(c) goods in the possession or under the control of a person that were purchased or otherwise acquired by him or her with or out of moneys to which this section applied.
Note: Goods are imported or exported in contravention of this Act if they are imported or exported in breach of a prohibition under this Act: see subsection 4(4A).

(3) Where a person who obtained possession or control of a cheque, or was paid moneys by a cheque, in any of the circumstances set out in paragraph (2)(a) or (b) receives, in respect of the cheque, moneys in the form of cash, the moneys so received shall, for the purposes of subsection (2), be deemed to be moneys that came into his or her possession or under his or her control, or were paid to him or her, in the circumstances in which he or she obtained possession or control of the cheque, or was paid the moneys by the cheque.

(4) Where a person who purchases or otherwise acquires goods pays the whole or substantially the whole of the amount paid by him or her for the goods by means of a cheque that came into his or her possession or under his or her control as set out in paragraph (2)(a), the goods shall, for the purposes of subsection (2), be deemed to have come into his or her possession or under his or her control in the circumstances in which the cheque came into his or her possession or under his or her control.

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(c), goods shall not be taken to have been purchased with or out of moneys to which this section applied unless the whole, or substantially the whole, of the moneys paid for the goods were moneys to which this section applied.

(6) For the purposes of section 203, moneys or goods to which this section applies shall be deemed to be forfeited goods and, upon moneys or goods to which this section applies being seized under a seizure warrant, they shall, for the purposes of sections 204 to 208E (inclusive) and Part XIV, be deemed to be forfeited goods, and those provisions apply accordingly.

(7) Where, in any proceedings for the condemnation or recovery of moneys or goods to which this section applies and which have been seized under a seizure warrant, the Court is satisfied that the relevant narcotic goods are goods reasonably suspected of having been imported into Australia in contravention of this Act, the Court shall, for the purposes of the proceedings, treat the narcotic goods as narcotic goods which have been imported into Australia in contravention of this Act unless it is established to the satisfaction of the Court that the narcotic goods were not imported into Australia or were not imported into Australia in contravention of this Act.

(8) Without limiting any powers that are conferred on a Court by the provisions of this Act specified in subsection (6) and notwithstanding any other provision of this Act:
(a) where moneys or goods in the possession or under the control of a person are seized under a seizure warrant, a Court in which proceedings are brought for the condemnation or recovery of the moneys or goods shall, if it is satisfied that the moneys or goods were, at the time when they were so seized, owned by another person who, when he or she became the owner of the moneys or goods, did not know, and had no reason to suspect, that the moneys or goods had come into the possession or under the control of the first mentioned person in circumstances referred to in subsection (2), direct that the moneys or goods be delivered to that other person; and
(b) where moneys or goods in the possession or under the control of the licensee of a warehouse are seized under a seizure warrant, a Court in which proceedings are brought for the condemnation or recovery of the moneys or goods shall direct that the moneys or goods be delivered to the licensee if it is satisfied that:
(i) the moneys came into the possession or under the control of the licensee by reason of his or her storing in the warehouse narcotic goods imported into Australia in contravention of this Act or by reason of his or her selling goods that were acquired by him or her with or out of any such moneys; or
(ii) the goods were purchased or otherwise acquired by him or her out of moneys that so came into his or her possession or under his or her control;
as the case may be, and is also satisfied that the licensee did not know that the goods stored in the warehouse were narcotic goods or that they had been imported into Australia in contravention of this Act.

Going to court can be nerve-racking, but having a strong and compassionate legal team behind you can make the experience significantly easier to deal with.

Here are 12 reasons to choose our multi-award winning legal team:

1. Proven Track Record of Exceptional Results

   Sydney Criminal Lawyers® consistently achieves outcomes which are in the highest percentile of the Judicial Commission’s sentencing statistics for criminal cases.

   Our legal team devises effective case-strategies and fights hard to have cases dropped entirely or charges downgraded – saving clients the time, expense and stress of a defended hearing or jury trial.

   Where cases nevertheless proceed, our lawyers have an outstanding track record of winning defended Local Court hearings, and complex jury trials in the District and Supreme Courts.

   We also consistently win appeals in the District and Supreme Courts (including the NSWCCA) after clients have received unsatisfactory results with other law firms in the lower courts.We are one of the few firms to achieve successful criminal law appeals in the High Court of Australia.

   Where our clients wish to plead guilty, we frequently achieve ‘dismissals’ and ‘non convictions’ in cases where other lawyers have advised there is no chance of doing so.

2. Highest Level of Client Satisfaction

   We have the best and most comprehensive client review record of any law firm in Australia.

   Regular communication, accessibility and quality service are our team’s highest priorities.

   We are committed to thoroughly explaining all steps involved in the criminal law process, providing regular updates throughout the proceedings, and making ourselves accessible and responsive.

   We are passionate about providing an exceptional level of service to our clients, and we fight hard to achieve optimal results in the shortest period of time.

3. Australia’s Most Awarded Criminal Law Firm
   

   We have received more awards and accolades than any other criminal law firm in Australia. Our team has been awarded “Criminal Defence Firm of the Year in Australia” in a number of prestigious and competitive awards programs for several years running.

   The awards recognise our exceptional track record of results, our outstanding client service, the high level of satisfaction we achieve, the affordability of our services and our overall excellence.

4. Fixed Fees
   

   We want our clients to know exactly how much their cases will cost from the very start. That’s why we were the first criminal law firm in Australia to publish ‘fixed fees’, back in 2004.

   We offer fixed fees for most types of criminal cases and services.Our fixed fees apply to a range of Local Court cases such as drink driving, drug possession, fraud, common assault and AVOs, and also specific services such as prison visits, bail applications, appeals and defended hearings.

   Unlike many other law firms, our fixed fees are published on our website – which ensures transparency and certainty.

5. Free First Appointment
   

   For those who are going to court, we offer a free first conference of up to an hour with one of our Senior Criminal Defence Lawyers.

   We also offer a free first conference to those who have received an unsatisfactory result after being represented in court by another law firm, or after representing themselves, and wish to appeal.

6. Specialist Lawyer Guarantee
   

   We guarantee that only lawyers with substantial criminal defence experience will work on your case and appear for you in court.

   This ensures our clients receive the highest quality representation from an experienced, specialist criminal lawyer.

7. All NSW Courts
   

   From Bombala to Broken Hill, our lawyers appear in courts throughout New South Wales – and across Australia for Commonwealth cases.

   And we offer fixed fees for most criminal and traffic law cases throughout the state.

8. Accredited Specialists

   Our entire firm is exclusively dedicated to criminal law – which makes us true specialists.

   All of our lawyers have years of experience representing clients in criminal cases, and our principal has been certified by the Law Society of NSW as an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 2005.

   An ‘Accredited Specialist’ is a lawyer who has practised for at least 5 years in a particular field of law (such as criminal law), has passed a rigorous assessment process conducted by the Law Society of NSW, and has been selected by the Specialist Accreditation Committee of the Law Society as an expert in the field.

   Accredited Specialists are required to undertake more training each year than other lawyers and must be successful in having their accreditation renewed every year. Specialist Accreditation is the mark of a true specialist.

   Our firm’s specialist experience ensures you receive the best possible result, whatever your criminal law case may be.

9. Results-Focused Law Firm
   

   Our team is passionate about achieving results, and unlike many other law firms, our lawyers do not have monthly financial ‘budgets’ to meet.

   The absence of budgets means our lawyers are entirely focused on achieving optimal results in the shortest space of time; whether by getting charges dropped or downgraded at an early stage or having cases ‘thrown out of court’.

   Not having budgets also means our lawyers are not under pressure to engage in unscrupulous practices such as unnecessarily adjourning cases or ‘overcharging’ clients – which, sadly, is a common complaint against many other lawyers and law firms.

   No budgets encourages regular consultation between lawyers within the firm – promoting an ‘open door’, team environment where lawyers bounce ideas off one another, formulate case strategy together and benefit from each other’s specialised experience, methods, techniques and insights.

   The result is a firm which delivers optimal outcomes in the shortest time periods, at the least expense and stress to our clients.

10. Team of Lawyers Behind You
    

    Our clients benefit from the pool of knowledge that only an extensive team of experienced criminal defence lawyers can provide.

    Our lawyers regularly consult one another to stay ‘ahead of the pack’ in the ever-changing field of criminal law – constantly devising, refining and implementing specialised techniques which ensure our clients achieve the best possible outcomes.

    A team approach is particularly important when it comes to serious criminal cases such as murder, commercial drug cases, serious and sexual assaults, large-scale fraud, robbery and other ‘indictable’ cases.

    In such matters, clients reap the benefits of several lawyers devising and executing case strategies which maximise the chances of having cases dropped or downgraded at an early stage, or ‘thrown out of court’ – often saving clients a great deal of cost, time and anxiety.

11. Familiar with Magistrates and Judges
    

    Each of our lawyers appears in court on a daily basis, and has done so for years. We have therefore been able to develop an understanding of, and rapport with, magistrates and judges in Sydney and indeed across the state.

    Our team’s extensive experience before the courts ensures your case is tailored to the specific nuances of individual judicial officers, maximising the likelihood of a favourable result.

12. Convenience
    

    We have offices in locations across the Sydney Metropolitan Area and beyond, including:

    • the Sydney CBD, on Castlereagh Street, directly opposite Downing Centre Court,
    • Parramatta, opposite the Justice Precinct carpark,
    • Liverpool, and
    • Sutherland.

    We offer free parking at our Sydney CBD offices, and all of our offices are close to train stations and bus terminals.

    For those who are unable to attend our offices, we offer conferences by telephone, Skye and FaceTime anywhere around the world.

    If you are going to court and wish to arrange a free first consultation, call our 24 hour hotline on (02) 9261 8881 or send us an email at info@sydneycriminallawyers.com.au.