Global force: AFP working with Interpol, Europol to crack major crimes

AFP Commander Kate Ferry says the thousands of incidents police investigate every single day ‘could reveal a key piece of information that cracks a case on the other side of the world’.

The Australian Federal Police says tight relationships with key foreign agencies have led to countless major investigation breakthroughs, including the capture a 50-year-old man in Spain wanted for child sex offences on his home soil.

The man, who faced court in the ACT for a preliminary hearing last month, is charged with 16 sexual offences allegedly committed against his stepchild.

After a painstaking investigation in Australia spanning several years, police presented a brief of evidence in May 2023 to the ACT Magistrates Court and an arrest warrant was issued.

Interpol issued its Red Notice — a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action — and four months later the suspect was nabbed in Spain.

AFP Commander Kate Ferry said the case was an example of how the thousands of incidents police investigate every single day “could reveal a key piece of information that cracks a case on the other side of the world”.

Australian Federal Police worked closely with international counterparts to bring a man from Spain back to Australia to face sexual charges. Picture: AFP

“In an ever-changing world, where international borders are becoming even more blurred to the criminal underworld, cross-border collaboration is more important than ever,” Commander Ferry said.

“Disrupting international criminal syndicates and bringing perpetrators to justice requires meaningful and trusted international networks.

“Aided by technological advancements, criminal activity is increasingly borderless in our modern world, presenting challenges for law enforcement globally.

“Our work in tandem with Interpol and Europol is key to how the AFP and our partners can combat these challenges and ensure a safer world.”

Commander Ferry said the relationships could not be more important than in cyberspace, where national borders were irrelevant.

In one case, Australia worked with foreign partners in Europol’s Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce to take down two cybercrime platforms — Cracked and Nulled — which had more than 10 million members combined and were used to pursue cybercrime as a service with stolen data, malware and hacking tools to target victims globally. The collaboration resulted in arrests, servers and devices and cash and cryptocurrencies being seized.

AFP Commander Kate Ferry says relationships with international counterparts are crucial to crime-fighting on Australian soil. Picture: Gaye Gerard

In another case, an Australian teenager was rescued from a close call thanks to the international network of police.

The 16-year-old Australian girl flew out of Sydney for Los Angeles without her parents’ permission.

She was reported missing to NSW Police, who requested assistance from Interpol Canberra. Within hours, Interpol Washington was working with Interpol Canberra and the New York Police Department to locate the girl. She was found within a few days.

Investigations revealed an adult man in the US had sent money to the girl and convinced her to travel to the US to engage in illicit sexual activity.

He was ultimately sentenced to 35 years in prison over the incident.

“As investigators, we never know what is going to be critical information that cracks a case,” Commander Ferry said.

“Any intelligence, big or small, could be the key piece to solving a major crime, either here in Australia, or on the other side of the world. This is the value of these partnerships.”

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