Organised crime gangs using food trucks to shift drugs

Criminal gangs have turned to “largely unregulated” food delivery services to transport drugs to customers during Covid-19 to circumvent travel restrictions.

Organised crime gangs have been using “largely unregulated” food delivery services to transport drugs to customers during the coronavirus pandemic to circumvent travel restrictions.

As the pandemic reshapes how crime gangs operate, a parliamentary committee led by a Queensland MP has called on the government to look into imposing further regulation on the industry.

An investigation into Covid-19 criminal activity found organised crime gangs have managed to adapt to pandemic restrictions to keep business going, with a “resurgence” expected in Southeast Asia that will see the region become a hub for methamphetamine production — with flow on impacts for Queensland.

A parliamentary committee, led by Ryan MP Julian Simmonds, heard crime gangs had pivoted to “largely unregulated” food delivery services to transport drugs to customers.

This mirrors a warning from global police squad INTERPOL, which in 2020 issued an alert about reports from Ireland, Malaysia, Spain and the United Kingdom that delivery drivers were couriering drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, ketamine and ecstasy.

Mr Simmonds said the government should investigate if “clear chains of movement and possession” can be established in the home food delivery industry to “reduce its potential for exploitation” by crime gangs.

“The online criminal marketplace is extremely adaptable,” he said.

“During Covid lockdowns when traditional supply chains were disrupted … (gangs exploited) the largely unregulated home food delivery industry to distribute illicit drugs.

“Criminals (also) took advantage of the increased need for certain products and engaged in distributing and selling counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical and personal protective equipment.

The committee’s report comes in light of Operation Ironside, a joint US and Australian police operation that has led to hundreds of arrests globally by intercepting encrypted messages sent through an app known as AN0M.

Mr Simmonds said Operation Ironside had highlighted how important encrypted messaging apps were to crime organisations, warning this remained an ongoing challenge to police investigations.

The committee has called on the government to consider new laws to “address the rapidly evolving use of end-to-end encryption and anonymising technologies” by crime gangs to increase the chances of prosecution.

The committee, in its report released on Monday, also recommended establishing a national police reserve force, similar to what Defence has, to help during national emergencies.

Originally published as Organised crime gangs using food trucks to shift drugs