New Strike Team Targets Corruption and Crime as Border Force Officer Charged in Drug Smuggling Plot

A New Offensive on Organised Crime’s Hidden Insiders

A senior Australian Border Force (ABF) employee has been charged with bribery and aiding in the smuggling of nearly 7 kilograms of cocaine, marking the first major takedown by a newly established Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST) targeting the so-called “trusted insiders” within Australia’s borders. The arrest, revealed today, underscores a deepening concern about corruption among officials working in ports, airports, and logistics—individuals who enable organised crime to bypass Australia’s border controls.

The case, dubbed Operation Proctor, has led to charges against four individuals, including an alleged organised crime figure, as part of a broader crackdown on public officials colluding with transnational criminal syndicates to facilitate drug and tobacco smuggling.

Organised Crime’s Secret Weapons: Corrupt Insiders

According to Australian Federal Police (AFP) Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney, the MAST was quietly launched in November 2024 to target public and private officials—referred to as “double dealers”—who provide critical inside access to organised crime groups.

“These individuals appear to be law-abiding Australians but operate in the shadows of organised crime,” said McCartney. “They undermine Australia’s security and safety by ensuring the safe passage of illicit drugs and other commodities through our border.”

The MAST, now comprising 40 full-time investigators and analysts, draws resources from AFP, ABF, NSW Police Force, AUSTRAC, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the NSW Crime Commission, and the Australian Tax Office.

Inside the Operation: Allegations of Corruption and Drug Importation

The ABF officer, a 50-year-old woman employed as a supervisor, is accused of receiving bribes in cash and high-value goods to facilitate the importation of 6.9 kilograms of cocaine, concealed in a parcel meant to bypass ABF scrutiny. Allegedly, she provided sensitive operational information, including details on a “dummy run” shipment of cosmetics from Malaysia, to test the smuggling pipeline.

The ABF employee faces multiple charges, including:

• Receiving a bribe as a Commonwealth official (10 years max imprisonment),

• Abuse of public office (5 years max imprisonment),

• Unauthorised disclosure of Commonwealth information (5 years max imprisonment),

• Aiding and abetting the importation of a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs (life imprisonment).

Alongside her, a 67-year-old Mount Pritchard man—alleged to be linked to organised crime—has been charged with bribing a Commonwealth official and aiding and abetting the importation of drugs, among other offences, all carrying severe penalties, including life imprisonment.

Two other men, aged 25 and 48, were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, an offence that also carries a potential life sentence.

All four were refused bail and are appearing in court today (12 March 2025).

MAST’s Wider Crackdown: Other Major Operations

The MAST’s reach extends beyond Operation Proctor. Since its inception, it has conducted three major investigations, leading to charges against seven alleged offenders, including:

Operation Bewdley: Tobacco Smuggling and Fraud

A father and son from Western Sydney, aged 52 and 27, allegedly used their trusted positions within the customs supply chain to smuggle two tonnes of illegal tobacco, swapping illicit cigarettes with legitimate goods in a Chullora storage facility. When arrested on 5 February 2025, authorities seized $250,000 in cash and 960,000 cigarettes at the site, with a further tonne of cigarettes found at their Yagoona home.

They are charged with:

• Importing tobacco with intent to defraud revenue,

• Possessing over 500kg of untaxed tobacco,

• The younger man is also charged with dealing in the proceeds of crime.

They are due back in court in April.

Operation Tampa: Heroin Trafficking with Interstate Links

A 20-year-old Melbourne man, allegedly connected to a Sydney logistics worker, was arrested near Tailem Bend, South Australia, after heroin was found in his car. Authorities allege he was en route back to Melbourne to distribute the drugs.

Charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of controlled drugs, he faces life imprisonment and is due to reappear in the Adelaide Supreme Court on 13 March 2025.

The Sydney logistics worker, linked to the case, was dismissed but has not yet been charged—investigations are ongoing.

The Stakes: NSW at the Centre of Australia’s Drug Trade

NSW remains the epicentre of Australia’s drug trafficking crisis, with 59% of all illicit drugs entering the country funneled through the state—mostly via Sydney. In the last financial year alone, nearly 20 tonnes of illicit drugs were seized en route to, or inside, NSW.

Authorities warn that insiders working in ports, airports, freight hubs, and postal services are critical enablers of this criminal pipeline. Nearly 70% of the transnational organised criminals targeting Australia operate offshore, evading direct law enforcement reach—making the detection and arrest of their local facilitators crucial.

Law Enforcement Leaders Speak Out

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald described trusted insiders as a “clear and present danger” to national security:

“These individuals are as culpable as the criminals they assist. MAST is here to uncover these vulnerabilities and hold these enablers accountable.”

ABF Deputy Commissioner Tim Fitzgerald said the arrests sent a strong message:

“There is no place within the Australian Border Force for people willing to abuse their position for criminal gain. Those who test our border controls will be exposed and prosecuted.”

Deputy Commissioner McCartney reinforced that corruption in supply chains poses a national security risk, with far-reaching consequences including increased violence in communities, higher road tolls, and risks to first responders.

Conclusion: A Warning to Organised Crime and Their Enablers

The launch of MAST signals a decisive shift in Australia’s fight against organised crime—one that recognises and confronts the critical role of corrupt insiders. By publicly unveiling MAST and detailing its early successes, law enforcement agencies are sending an unambiguous warning: those who betray the public trust to work with organised crime will be found, exposed, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

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Source List:

1. https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/new-strike-team-targets-double-dealers-working-organised-crime

2. https://www.abf.gov.au/newsroom-subsite/Media-Releases/new-strike-team-targets-double-dealers-working-for-organised-crime

3. https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/articles/new-strike-team-targets-double-dealers-working-for-organised-crime

4. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=2f5e2fc7-87e4-4f4a-ae67-9ff9d8e754e6