Nine people have been arrested over their involvement in issuing fraudulent construction industry trade qualifications. An estimated few hundred qualifications that were issued include “Certificate IV in Building and Construction,” “Certificate III in Gas Fitting” and “Certificate in Electrotechnology Electrician” across trades such as building, electrotechnology, gas fittings, air-conditioning and refrigeration. The fraudulent certificates were allegedly created for buyers to circumvent completing compulsory theory and practical assessments.

The ringleaders of this scheme, Cameron Russell, 55 and wife Fay, 52, have been charged with multiple offences including falsifying documents that produced $125,000 in proceeds. They are currently behind bars and will appear in court on February 5.

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