High tech crime 'Fusion' centre opens

James Riley
Tuesday, 13 July 2010 22:31

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

Attorney General Robert McClalland has opened a new intelligence analysis centre in Canberra targeting organised crime backed by more than a billion dollars in information technology assets.

The so-called Criminal Intelligence Fusion Centre within the Australian Crime Commission draws data and expertise from some of the federal government's largest IT operations, from the Australian Taxation Office, Customs and Border Protection, Centrelink, Austrac, Immigration and the Australian Federal Police.

The Fusion Centre aims to boost the ability of state and federal law enforcement to identify and analyse high-risk cash flows, patterns of crime and their links to individuals, businesses and corporate structures that may be involved in crime.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said the social and economic cost to Australians of organised crime was about $15 billion annually.

Government's Organised Crime Strategic Framework would make sure Commonwealth intelligence, policy, regulatory and law enforcement agencies were working together to prevent, disrupt, investigate and prosecute organised crime, Mr O'Connor said.

He said the links between organised crime and terrorism were well-established, with evidence emerging in recent years pointing to organised criminals having both financed and organised people smuggling operations.

This fusion capability was a commitment to fighting various forms of organised crime, from people smuggling, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, illegal financial transfers, fraud and identity crimes.

The $14 million Fusion Centre co-locates investigators and analysts and was announced as part of the first coordinated national security Budget earlier this year.

"Today I opened the $14.5 million Criminal Intelligence Fusion Centre within the Australian Crime Commission, which will help to better co-ordinate the fight against organised crime," Mr O'Connor said.