An 'organised syndicate of fake beggars' from China has been exposed making hundreds of dollars each day by allegedly pretending to be homeless.
It comes after disturbing footage titled 'Organised Asian syndicate of fake beggars on city corners' was uploaded on social media last month and revealed by Daily Mail Australia and news.com.au.
It's understood an alleged syndicate is arranging passports and tourist visas in China before 'beggars' fly in to work the streets and then send the cash they collect back to China electronically.
Victoria Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that several people were arrested in an operation conducted across Melbourne's CBD this week in partnership with City of Melbourne Council.
The user who uploaded the video said this has become a regular occurrence in the last six months.
'I know it is an organised group because I have seen them get together after 'finishing up' at night in front of the State Library to take the tram out of the city,' they wrote.
'I have seen five older Asian women who are the main panhandlers.
Beggars being put up in inner-city hostels and pass the cash they collect onto 'handlers', The Herald Sun reported.
'They were crying poor after we took the money, saying "Oh, we need the money to get back to China, we need to fly home",' Melbourne East Police Sergeant Chris O'Brien told the publication.
'It's quite an investment involved in flying people out of China to do this. At what point have they made their money, and then what?'
A study conducted in 2015 by Salvation Army support service Melbourne Project 614 found that there are some professional beggars who are making $300-$400 a day.
'We had one person indicate to us that he was raising in the vicinity of $300 to $400 a day or an evening and he was doing that on a regular basis,' Major Brendan Nottle from the Salvation Army told ABC.
It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it, I suppose...
