NSW Police Officer Who Gambled Family Gold Could Face Legal Action

New South Wales Police have been issued a stark warning about the risks gambling addiction poses to the force’s security and integrity following a troubling investigation under the name Operation Dartmoor. 

Money Laundering Ties, Investigated 

The probe, conducted under section 132 of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission Act 2016 regarding allegations of gambling and money laundering by a police officer, revealed that the person under the DAR pseudonym sold gold worth more than a million dollars taken from a family member while struggling with an “out of control” gambling habit.

Operation Dartmoor began after the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre flagged a few suspicious banking transactions under Officer DAR, pointing to his possible role in selling large amounts of gold to a bullion dealer linked to money laundering.

This information convinced the Commission to initiate a lengthy and thorough investigation featuring a forensic examination of Officer DAR’s financial accounts, as well as covert surveillance. 

The Commission learned the officer was using online gambling platforms to place large bets, which led them to obtain a search warrant for his home. That search uncovered a substantial amount of gold.

The investigation began last year and included private witness interviews.

Deep Dive Into a Sensitive Matter

The case prompted Peter Johnson SC, chief commissioner of the police watchdog, to raise concerns that officers dealing with gambling compulsions may become increasingly vulnerable to potential criminal exploitation.

While investigators determined the officer was not involved in money laundering, the inquiry wanted to determine further whether he engaged in serious misconduct when he took and sold the gold. 

According to the commission, the gold in question, 14 bars and 20 gold coins believed to have originated in South Africa, had been stashed away under the family home in an ice-cream container for decades. 

While family members testified that the gold originated from the superannuation fund belonging to the officer’s grandfather, the commission had a hard time trusting this information, as the former Council truck driver’s retirement benefits had only totaled roughly $49,000.

Witnesses said the gold eventually ended up with the officer’s uncle, who has a history of drug dealing and had been to jail several times.

Standalone Policy Required 

As the inquiry uncovered that the officer had known gambling problems at the time of his recruitment in 2019 but had not disclosed them, it prompted the Commission to suggest that NSW Police ask new officers to be upfront regarding such matters when joining the force. 

The watchdog also urged the police to adopt a standalone policy specifically addressing gambling addiction.

“Clearly, it is in the interests of the NSW Police Force to have in place and maintain robust guidelines designed to protect its officers from becoming vulnerable to exploitation through gambling or any other form of addiction,” Johnson said.

Although the officer claimed the gold belonged to his family and thus was not stolen, evidence showed he knew it was not his property. He had also attempted to hide the origin of his wealth from a bullion dealer and an online gambling operator.

The commission concluded this behavior amounted to serious misconduct and has referred the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The officer, who has since left the force in August 2022, is now facing potential legal action.

In response, NSW Police said it was reviewing the commission’s recommendations.