Australian Law enforcement restructure to focus on Italian mafia

THE Australian Federal Police have set their sights on the Italian Mafia, including the notorious ‘Ndrangheta clan in a dramatic change of strategy.

EXCLUSIVE

Clans of Italian Mafia in Australia are to be targeted by Australian Federal Police with a dedicated unit and resources under a complete restructuring of law enforcement crime fighting methods created under the new Home Affairs Department reforms.

But just who will staff the new unit strategy remains unclear with the AFP confirming it still plans to shed more than 117 personnel in this financial year of which 98 are to be frontline police officers.

Another 65 redundancies are to be AFP professional staff although there is to be an increase of 44 staff to Protective Services officer ranks.

News Corp Australia has learned the move to have dedicated resources to look at Italian Mafia, and specifically the faces behind the crimes, follows a review of law enforcement tactics in Australia over the past few years and revelations in an Italian court that the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta clan had dispatched migrating members to Australia specifically to operate criminal enterprise.

Italian mafia hitman and police informer Domenico Agresta. Picture: Supplied

‘Ndrangheta lieutenant turned informer Domenico Agresta detailed to authorities in October last year two “locales” or criminal cells made up of three or four families including members of his own, currently in Australia specifically to carry on the family business.

Police intelligence has, however, identified six locales, each with their own mob boss, in Sydney, Melbourne and South Australia with ‘Ndrangheta global annual revenues from drugs trafficking and money laundering and counterfeit goods estimated at $80 billion.

These migrating Calabrians have included notorious members from the Barbaro and Sergi families, involved in gangland hits and drug production and trafficking in Melbourne, Sydney, Griffith and Brisbane dating back to the 1970s.

Such was the state of flourishing “entrenchment” and “consolidation” of Italian Mafia in Australia, Italian police say Australia was considered an offshore “state of Italy” in their intelligence tracking.

A senior AFP source said under restructuring Italian Mafia would be its own focus, the first time it has had its own dedicated resources in decades.

Stills from Italian state video of police arresting 163 alleged members of notorious Italian Mafia Gang 'Ndrangheta. Picture: Supplied

“We did have six or seven crime types or areas we were going after and we were very much focused on the commodity,” the senior officer said.

“We’ve stopped doing that, looking at the commodity and going after the organised crime groups. That’s where we are going now. We are going after the organised crime group, national and international and chasing them and hitting them. The Italian Mafia is one.”

Calabrian mafia boss Pasquale Condello was caught after 18 years in the run. Picture: AP

Under the new focused strategy the six crime types have been narrowed to three at any one time with all resources thrown at those before another crime type is “swapped in” and rotated. Other categories to gain specific attention include child sex crimes, money laundering and Outlaw Motor Cycle Gangs.

An AFP Association spokeswoman said her members were to be briefed on the new law enforcement direction and priorities this week but the continued drive in staff reduction and budget constraints were a major concern.

Originally published as Australian Law enforcement restructure to focus on Italian mafia