“There is no doubt we had the suspicion and no doubt we had the concern but actually getting to the point where we could say we could prosecute...we believe we are in a position now. “I still have to be careful what I say, innocent until proven guilty, but certainly with the remaining four people we believe we are in a position now to commence prosecution. “That information has been shared with our colleagues at Border Force.” Two of the alleged female scammers. Credit:Queensland Police Service The group, made up of men, women and children, have been linked to glass or hair planting in restaurant meals, shoplifting, trashing several apartments and dodgy construction across Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

“There is one (fraud case) on the Gold Coast where the allegation exceeds more than $20,000 and I think what is particularly concerning about that is that it is elderly people, it is pensioners,” Superintendent Fleming said. “Information available to me says that some of these people have behaved in a way that has taken advantage of the goodwill of businesses and people.” Superintendent Fleming said the biggest challenge for police was identifying which members of the group were potentially responsible for 12 business scams and reports of Irish men offering trade work such as bitumening or roofing to elderly people and either not completing it or doing a bad job. “They (the remaining group) will have to go through a port of some sort I expect we will get a call,” he said. “Depending on where we are with our investigation we make a decision where we say 'OK, overall it is best to let them go home and never come back to this country or whether we can progress it to a point (of prosecution).”

Superintendent Fleming said “it may well be best to let them leave the country”. “Whilst it seems straight forward...if we seek the Commonwealth’s approval to revoke a visa when we prosecute someone, the state of Queensland bears the cost then of them staying in the state,” he said. “I really hate to be talking about dollars when we are talking about justice but there is a balancing act there about making sure the community is safe to prevent more offences versus what is the likely outcome of this.” Audio emerged on Monday of a voicemail reportedly left on the phone of a property developer responsible for several apartments they allegedly trashed across Brisbane. Landlord Clara Carmichael told Seven News on Friday the accused fraudsters ditched four apartments on the city’s south side after failing to pay rent, leaving holes in the walls and clogging toilets with potatoes.

“So you won’t be able to get any more payouts on your big plastic lips or your plastic rubber face,” a man with an Irish accent says in the audio, broadcast by the Nine Network's Today program on Monday. “You’re a dirty, smelly, Australian slapper. Bye now.” A number of businesses came forward with tales of scams since last Tuesday, when Bird’s Nest Restaurant owner Marie Yokoyama claimed a group of women planted glass in their food to get a free meal. Police were aware of 12 offences which had been committed since January and Superintendent Fleming said the remaining four may have travelled interstate to avoid police. Anyone with further information about the group’s location was urged to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.