An individual aged 38 from Adelaide has been formally charged in connection with an alleged fraudulent scheme involving $5 million against the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

This man, who holds the position of director at a registered NDIS provider, was apprehended by officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) at Adelaide Airport on Friday while he was attempting to depart the country.

The arrest follows a comprehensive investigation conducted by the federal government’s Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT), which initiated its inquiry in March after the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) uncovered unauthorized access to sensitive records of NDIS participants.

Previously, a 48-year-old woman was the first individual to be charged in relation to the same alleged scheme after FFT investigators executed searches at various locations in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, including a business establishment in Prospect and residences in Mawson Lakes and Blakeview.

The AFP has charged the man with one count of handling the proceeds of crime obtained through fraudulent claims against the NDIS. Additionally, he faces a charge for soliciting confidential information from a staff member of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

According to the AFP, these charges carry severe penalties, with maximum sentences of 25 years and 2 years of imprisonment for the respective offenses.

The accused is currently in custody and is scheduled to appear before the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.