The group includes seven men allegedly responsible for the scam, who were arrested yesterday.
A group of 26 Irish nationals are currently awaiting deportation in a detention centre in Western Australia after a police investigation into an alleged roofing scam in Perth.
According to The Guardian, seven men, including two 17-year olds, were arrested yesterday (Thursday) for their involvement in a scam in which they allegedly posed as employees of a roofing repair business and ripped off elderly residents in suburbs of Perth.
As well as the seven men arrested, police say that a further 19 Irish nationals, all women and children, were detained by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and had their visas cancelled pending their deportation back to Ireland.
Police seized business documentations, cash and other items and subsequently notified immigration officials having searched a number of caravans in the Perth suburb of Hazelmere on Thursday.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll issued a statement warning of the “travelling conmen offering roof repairs” while one victim of the scam contacted the company the conmen claimed to represent, who denied having employed them.
In one of a number of reported cases, an elderly man allegedly paid AUS$17,000 to have his home and driveway painted by the conmen, who painted the driveway but didn’t come back to complete the job.
There are also a number of reported cases of the conmen accompanying some of the elderly customers to the bank and waiting for them to withdraw cash with which to pay them.
Assistant immigration minister Michaelia Cash said the department detained 26 people but only cancelled the visas of 24, saying: “Those individuals who have had their visas cancelled are now currently in detention while the department makes arrangements for their removal from Australia.”
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