Police undercover operations on rise across Australia in battle against drugs, guns, fraud

New figures reveal how often police are using undercover stings to expose crime, as a brave female rookie cop details the shocking end to her first secret mission in the latest Police Tape podcast.

Undercover policing operations in which law enforcement officers are sanctioned to infiltrate criminal organisations or become involved in illegal activities to fight crime are on the rise around Australia.

Official reports on “controlled operations” run by state and federal police forces show that by far the biggest targets for undercover stings are criminals involved in drugs, firearms and fraud offences.

But controlled operations with undercover operatives are also being used for cases of corruption, money laundering, murder and related offences, such as solicit or attempt to murder, child exploitation and terrorism.

Undercover cop “Zoe Jones” lives with the fear she will one day come face-to-face with the criminals she targeted. Picture: Tim Hunter

The revelation comes as one of the most dangerous international controlled operations ever run by Australian cops has been revealed publicly for the first time by True Crime Australia’s Police Tape podcast series, with a second episode on the mission out today.

LISTEN TO THE FULL STORY:

Hear more: Go behind the scenes of major crimes with every Police Tape podcast

The operation involved a rookie policewoman with no undercover training being thrust into an organised crime network, posing as their drug mule, and smuggling 2kg of heroin into Australia from Hong Kong.

The rookie cop, who we have called Zoe Jones, has broken her silence about the harrowing operation and how her undercover work smashed an international drug cartel and took 55kg of heroin worth $75 million off the streets.

Zoe flew from Hong Kong to Australia with 2kg of heroin as part of her drug mule cover. Picture: iStock

But the controlled operation did not always run smoothly, and in one terrible moment when other undercover police lost sight of the targeted crooks, Zoe thought they were on to her and were going to kill her.

Full story: Rookie cop’s harrowing undercover mission as drug mule

‘Great danger’: Spies wowed by undercover cop’s audacity

Her experience as an undercover “drug mule” saw her receive a commendation and helped shape the rest of her long and successful police career. She would eventually go on to be formally trained as an undercover operative, tackling one dangerous situation after another, undertaking everything from buying guns from gangsters, to negotiating for the surrender of rocket launchers and helping solve murders.

But even after all these years, she still looks over her shoulder and lives with the fear she will one day come face-to-face with the criminals she knew from her secret life.

True Crime Australia: Inside the secret world of undercover cops

Zoe’s aptitude for undercover work was clear from her very first mission. Picture: Tim Hunter

The former head of the NSW Police Undercover Police Unit, Mick Drury, said the rise in controlled operations and undercover work was as a result of past successes.

“The undercover technique is cutting edge in its investigative application. The technique is relied upon by modern police around the world in particular to combat the damage that large scale and prolonged organised crime repays upon the community,” said Mr Drury.

“The technique often has the ability to draw out critical evidence to the benefit of the Crown and the protection of society.”

According to the latest figures, in NSW in the last financial year, police were given the go-ahead to run 388 controlled operations involving 9474 law enforcement participants and 274 civilians.

Out of those 355 operations, 32 were cross-border operations involving activities in one or more states.

The operations resulted in 482 arrests with 1596 charges laid.

The number of undercover operations by NSW Police has been steadily rising over the past five years from 330 in 2013-14 to 412 in 2016-17.

In 2017-18, the Australian Federal Police authorised 110 controlled operations mainly aimed at dismantling organised crime syndicates.

At the same time, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) granted 49 requests for assumed identities to be used by law enforcement officers to gather intelligence and investigate criminal activity. That was up from 39 assumed identities granted in 2013-14.

In Queensland, police authorised 13 controlled operations, which resulted in 322 arrests and 1200 charges in 2017-18.

In Western Australia, 44 controlled operations were authorised in 2016-17.

Originally published as Police undercover operations on rise across Australia in battle against drugs, guns, fraud