John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter-Terrorism. Will the minister update the House on recent achievements in the fight against drugs and organised crime? What actions are our law enforcement agencies taking to keep our communities safe from the threats associated with illicit drugs?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Groom for his question and the interest he takes in law enforcement matters. Yesterday was a very historic day for Australian law enforcement as they commenced the conclusion of an operation that is one of the most significant take-downs of organised criminal syndicates in Australia in several decades. The Australian Federal Police and its partners have destroyed two separate international crime syndicates, operating in Australia, Dubai and the Netherlands, resulting in 17 arrests and the seizure of 1.9 tonnes of drugs destined for Australian streets. This is a massive blow to the drug trade in Australia and against the organised criminal syndicates that peddle in this misery.

I can update the House that nine men and one woman were arrested in Sydney yesterday morning, while five men were arrested in the United Arab Emirates by the Dubai police antinarcotics department in simultaneous operations. We will now facilitate the extradition of those suspects from overseas to bring them back to Australia to face justice. The AFP investigation—they worked in conjunction with the New South Wales Police Force—began over a year ago and targeted organised criminal groups dealing in both drugs and illicit tobacco. It's estimated that if the total drugs that were captured had reached Australian streets, they would have had a street value of over $810 million. These operations should serve as a very strong reminder that nobody in Australia is above the law. The efforts of the Australian Federal Police and our law enforcement partners demonstrate our vigilance and our effectiveness in cracking down on those who profit from the illegal drug trade in Australia.

This comes on top of news last week that the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, working very closely with French authorities, seized 1.4 tonnes of cocaine destined for Australian shores. This is the largest seizure of cocaine destined for Australia in history. It's also on the back of our efforts working with China's National Narcotics Control Commission on a joint task force called Taskforce Blaze, based in Guangzhou, that has stopped an extraordinary 13 tonnes of drugs from coming to Australia which would have had a street value of literally billions and billions of dollars.

In Australia we have a significant drug problem. We have very high demand for illegal drugs. We have a huge appetite for illegal drugs in Australia. We also pay very high prices. And this creates a honeypot effect for organised criminal gangs from all around the globe—North America, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Organised criminal syndicates want a slice of the Australian drug market, but these latest operations show that we will work with our law enforcement agencies to give them the tools to arrest the people that peddle in this misery.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.