• Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement

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Image: Crouchy69 / flickr

20 June 2011On 14 September 2009, the then Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission (PJC-ACC) initiated an inquiry into the adequacy of aviation and maritime security measures to combat serious and organised crime.

The terms of reference required the committee to examine the effectiveness of current administrative and law enforcement arrangements to protect Australia's borders from serious and organised criminal activity. In particular the committee examined:

(a) the methods used by serious and organised criminal groups to infiltrate Australia's airports and ports, and the extent of infiltration;

(b) the range of criminal activity currently occurring at Australia's airports and ports, including but not limited to:

• the importation of illicit drugs, firearms, and prohibited items;
• tariff avoidance;
• people trafficking and people smuggling;
• money laundering; and
• air cargo and maritime cargo theft;

(c) the effectiveness of the Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC)and Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC) schemes; includingthe process of issuing ASICs and MSICs, the monitoring of cards issuedand the storage of, and sharing of, ASIC and MSIC information between appropriate law enforcement agencies;

(d) the current administrative and law enforcement arrangements and information and intelligence sharing measures to manage the risk of serious and organised criminal activity at Australia's airports and ports; and

(e) the findings of the Australian Crime Commission's special intelligence operations into Crime in the Transport Sector and Illegal Maritime Importation and Movement Methodologies.

Image:  HMAS Sirius sails into Sydney Harbour, Crouchy69 / flickr