Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram concedes that Australia’s national borders are being infiltrated by illegal drugs, tobacco, money laundering and sex trafficking and is “ringing the alarm bell” for more powers and resources to fight criminals.

Commissioner Outram, a former London police detective and Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner who succeeded the ousted Roman Quaedvlieg in 2018, said the financial windfall of a wider crackdown would reap billions in additional revenue for the federal government.