Crackdown On Organised Crime On The Waterfront

In July 2010 Task Force Polaris was established to investigate organised crime on the waterfront in Sydney. The task force was made up of 49 criminal investigators and intelligence analysts from the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, the Australian Crime Commission, the NSW Police Force and the NSW Crime Commission.
Since July 2010 there have been

• 16 arrests - resulting in 77 charges;
• the seizure of over 12 tonnes of illicit substances and pre-cursor chemicals; and
• 114.8 tonnes of loose leaf tobacco and 92.7 million individual cigarettes have been seized.
• The task force has also provided advice on the next stages to combat organised crime and strengthen security on the waterfront.
• The Federal Government has also announced:
• A major expansion of the work of law enforcement agencies targeting organised crime on the waterfront to Melbourne and Brisbane; and
• A number of major reforms to make it harder for organised criminals to exploit and infiltrate the waterfront and the private sector supply chain.

The detailed development of legislation and the implementation of these measures will be done in close consultation with industry and unions.

The Government will establish a new industry forum consisting of law enforcement agencies and stakeholders on the waterfront and in the supply chain to consider further opportunities for law enforcement and industry to work together to address vulnerabilities.

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