The family home and bank accounts of a Russian-born Australian couple accused of espionage have been restrained and could be permanently confiscated.
Kira Korolev, 40, and her husband Igor, 62, were charged in July with preparing an espionage offence after their arrest over an alleged spying scheme targeting the defence department.
The couple, who remain in custody, were the first people charged under a 2018 Australian national security law and face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The Australian Federal Police announced on Tuesday that one of its task forces is separately seeking to confiscate the married couple's Brisbane apartment and financial savings.
The Queensland Supreme Court has made restraining orders on the property worth more than $550,000, multiple bank accounts and superannuation funds acquired by Korolev while she was employed by the Australian Defence Force.
Both the proceeds of crime and criminal cases against the pair remain before the courts.
Kira Korolev has been charged with unlawfully giving access to defence computer systems and unlawfully accessing, copying or disseminating information related to national security.
She was also charged with maintaining "a relationship with members or affiliates of Russian Federation intelligence services for the purposes of providing the aforementioned information", according to court documents.
The charges span alleged offences committed between December 6, 2022, and July 11, 2024, in Brisbane and Russia.
She worked in the defence force as an information systems technician for several years and was on leave when she was arrested.
The pair had been in Australia for about 10 years and were married when they arrived.
Kira Korolev became an Australian citizen in 2016 and her husband in 2020.
Her husband's charge relates to the unlawful access of defence department documents and national security information.
