A raid was under way at the home of former union official Kathy Jackson north of Wollongong in New South Wales on Wednesday afternoon.

Several warrants were issued as part of a joint operation between the Australian federal police and Victoria police on Wednesday for a property at Wombarra, a Victorian police spokeswoman said.

Jackson has been under scrutiny by the unions royal commission over her time as national secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU).

She has faced civil proceedings in which she was ordered to pay compensation to the HSU of more than $1.4m.

That case is currently being contested in court. Last Friday her actions were described as part of a “sorry history of misappropriation and deceit” in a report released by the royal commission.

The raid is part of Operation Heracles, which is specifically tasked with investigating allegations referred to by the royal commission.

The raids on Jackson’s home are understood to be linked to a criminal complaint the Heath Services Union made to police in February about the disgraced former HSU secretary.

That HSU complaint to police is understood to involve about $900,000 of $1.4m that the federal court in August ordered Jackson to repay the union.

Jackson, now bankrupt, was ordered to repay the HSU $1,338,626 in damages and $67,912 in overpaid salary after the Federal Court found she had used union money to prop up her lavish lifestyle.

Jackson has appealed against the federal court order. But the HSU is fighting her appeal, questioning the competency of her bid.

The federal court in Melbourne on Tuesday agreed to hear the HSU’s objection to Jackson’s appeal in November.