A 21-year-old woman who was arrested
at Sydney Airport trying to flee the country allegedly spent millions on
handbags and luxury goods after $4.6 million was mistakenly transferred into
her bank account four years ago.
The chemical engineering student,
who was attempting to flee to Malaysia when she was picked up by Australian
Federal Police at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night, still allegedly owes
$3.3 million to her bank.
She allegedly purchased 'luxury
items' while taking advantage of the mistakenly extended overdraft.
She appeared at Waverley Local Court
on Thursday after being charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage
by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Court documents revealed she is
alleged to have committed the offences on multiple occasions between July 2014
and March 2015.
It is alleged she failed to notify
the bank that she was not entitled to the money.
The court heard she knew police were
attempting to make contact with her and she obtained an emergency Malaysian
passport in order to leave the country.
She was granted bail for $1,000 and
faces strict bail conditions, with Magistrate Lisa Stapleton agreeing with the
prosecution that her attempts to flee Australia meant that she posed a flight
risk.
The woman, who claimed to have
obtained the emergency passport because she had lost her original one, will not
be allowed to enter any international airport or port and has to report to
police twice daily.
She is also not allowed to apply for
another passport.
The woman, who has lived in
Australia for five years, lives with her boyfriend at Rhodes in Sydney's
north-west.
She is three years through a
four-year chemical engineering degree but has deferred her final year.
The woman is due to appear at
Downing Centre Local court on June 21.
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