High-ranking Australian Border Force official, organised crime figure charged by new task force

A high-ranking Australian Border Force official is among those charged by a new task force cracking down on drug importation, with it alleged the officer accepted bribes for information.

An organised crime figure and a border force official have been arrested as part of a major, nationwide sting aimed at stamping out “double agents”, after allegedly conspiring to import almost seven kilos of cocaine into Sydney.

Alleged crime figure Cosmo Commisso, 67, is accused of giving Australian Border Force supervisor Rita Gargiulo, 50, cash, luxury goods and household items in exchange for help bypassing 6.9 kilograms cocaine from ABF examination after it landed in Sydney.

They were arrested by a new task force made up of state and federal police, established to crack down on “trusted insiders” on organised crime payroll, with seven people charged in total for trying to traffic hundreds of kilos of cocaine and meth into the country.

The Raptor Squad moving in to one of the alleged offender’s home. Picture: AFP

Commisso and Gargiulo met through family members in 2024, before Gargiulo allegedly became a “double-agent”, conspiring to ensure a parcel containing 6.9 kilograms of cocaine would bypass ABF examination.

It’s alleged the pair worked together for several months, partly to ensure the safe passage of the parcel and to provide information about “dummy run” of cosmetics which arrived in Australia from Malaysia last month.

Police claim Commisso gifted her meat, groceries, $15,000 cash, diamond earrings, a pasta maker, two luxury handbags – one from Burberry and one from Louis Vuitton – and a guitar in exchange for her assistance.

Alleged crime figure Cosmo Commisso, 67, is accused of giving Australian Border Force supervisor Rita Gargiulo, 50, cash, luxury goods and household items in exchange for help.

The pair are among the first people charged by the newly established AFP and NSW Police Force Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST) which targets contractors, public and private officials who are on the payroll of organised crime.

Neither Gargiulo nor Commisso appeared in court or applied for bail.

The pair’s legal representative, high-profile solicitor Ahmed Dib, asked for Gargiulo’s bail application to be adjourned to March 20, and Commisso’s to March 27, citing an 80-page document of allegations which would need to be reviewed before the pair could provide instructions.

Ahmed Dib outside a previous court appearance.

A brief in the matter is also to be served by May 7.

The pair will remain in custody on remand until their imminent release applications.

Deputy Commissioner Ian McCarthy speaks of an alleged incident were a boarder force officer has attempted to import illicit drugs into Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Thomas Lisson

The nationwide police investigation has also nabbed a Sydney father and son – accused of abusing their positions in customs control to smuggle two tonnes of illegal tobacco into the city – and a Melbourne man, accused of heroin trafficking, who has alleged links to a Sydney logistics worker.

Police allege the Yagoona father and son, 52 and 27, were entrusted with moving goods under customs control when they smuggled two million cigarettes into Sydney via air cargo before they were arrested on February 5.

The Melbourne man, 20, was arrested allegedly with heroin in his car in South Australia on January 9, with police accusing him of having links with a Sydney logistics worker who has since been fired from his job but not charged.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said the “double dealers” were “highly valuable” to organised crims and gangs.

A woman arrested as part of the new task force raids. Picture: AFP

“We used to call these offenders trusted insiders,” he said.

“However, what they really are (is) double agents or double dealers, by working for both sides.

“Often they are employed by the good guys, but are secretly and unfortunately, working for the bad guys.

“They are extremely valuable to organised crime, who will keep these insiders on their payroll for years to make it easier to import large properties of illicit drugs into this country.”

Deputy Commissioner McCartney said MAST was taking down the “secret weapons” of organised crime – with NSW dubbed the “ground zero” for Australia’s illicit drug imports.

Up to 59 per cent of all trafficked substances are funnelled into the state, and in the past financial year alone, nearly 20 tonnes of illicit drugs were seized in or en route to NSW.

“Australia’s security and safety is being undermined by serious criminals who traffic illicit commodities into NSW and other locations in Australia,” he said.

“The MAST was set up in November last year to target employees who seem to be law-abiding Australians but instead are operating in the shadows of organised crime.”

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said corruption was “not just a betrayal of trust” but a crime.

Arrests carried out as part of ongoing investigation. Picture: AFP

“Those who enable drug smuggling and other organised crime activities are not only corrupt, they are criminals in every sense of the word,” he said.

MAST has also conducted two other operations, Operation Bewdley and Operation Tampa, resulting in further arrests.

The first was a Western Sydney father and son were charged in February for allegedly smuggling two tonnes of illegal tobacco, substituting illicit cigarettes for legitimate goods in freight containers.

Assistant Commissioner Micheal Fitzgerald speaks of an alleged incident were a boarder force officer has attempted to import illicit drugs into Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Thomas Lisson

And a Melbourne man, 20, was arrested in South Australia in January with a large quantity of heroin in his vehicle, allegedly en route to distribute the drugs in Melbourne.

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