THE four Griffith men at the centre of the Black Friday drug arrests should have their assets seized and sold from under them if convicted, according to local MP Adrian Piccoli.

And in a startling development, Mr Piccoli said the process may already be under way.

“There’s no doubt the wheels are already turning to make it happen … I’ve been told it’s happening already,” Mr Piccoli said.

“If they’re found guilty, I think most people in Griffith would like to see them jailed for a long time and their assets seized and sold to pay for hospitals and schools.

“Their wives and kids should not benefit if their assets are proceeds of crime.”

He said authorities should

consider freezing the men’s assets even before they face trial.

Just days after the arrests, Mr Piccoli said he hoped the men “rotted in hell” if convicted.

“Look, this is a major drug importation racket being alleged here and I think the community would expect the full force of the law to be implemented if found guilty,” he said.

“Most people would like to see them receive a life sentence and on top of that, have their assets taken.

“No one should benefit from crime.”

The men have been charged under the Commonwealth crime jurisdiction and under the federal proceeds of crime act 2002, authorities have wide-ranging powers to trace, restrain and confiscate assets.

“They can freeze assets and put all sorts of injunctions on and their powers are much broader than a bankruptcy or insolvency case,” Mr Piccoli said.

“They can seize assets that are in their wives’ or children’s names and the level of proof (that the asset was a proceed of crime) is not particularly high.

“It’s considered on the balance of probability rather than beyond a reasonable doubt.

“Assets can be seized before criminal proceedings even take place.

“Anything suspected to be tainted by drug money can be seized and can be kept even if the person isn’t eventually convicted.”

The men – Pasquale “Garbo” Barbaro, 46, Saverio “Puss” Zirilli, 51, Pasquale “Poppy” Sergi, 45, and Dominic “Bubbles” Barbaro, 31 – were arrested on Friday, August 8 as

part of an alleged international drug ring.

The arrests relate to a 4.4-tonne, 15 million ecstasy pill seizure at a Melbourne port last June.