AFP’s new crime task fighters to smash drug rings

The Australian Federal Police has been trialling a new task force in bid to halt drug crime and money laundering in fast-tracked operations. Here’s how they did it.

Exclusive: A unique squad of hand-picked crime fighters, each with different skills, kicking in the doors of bad guys in a live streamed and co-ordinated operation, sounds like something out of a Marvel movie.

But the Australian Federal Police has been covertly trialling a new task force – to smash the nation’s cocaine scourge – so maverick they’ve had to look to legislative reforms to operate.

And such has been its success, criminal drug and money laundering patterns have tangibly been altered with talk now of replicating the NSW squad experiment nationally.

Task Force Vanguard is a significant departure in national law enforcement that usually conducts prolonged months-long investigations and is an attempt to turn the tide on drugs and money laundering in short sharp operations.

In less than four months in NSW it has made more than 50 raids, 30 arrests mostly for cocaine and money laundering, seized more than $3.5 million in cash and closed down two drug labs including one in Wollongong set up as a cocaine distribution point.

It’s a multi-agency squad of 25-30 operatives including the AFP, Australian Border Force, AUSTRAC, the ATO, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the United States Homeland Security Investigations.

“We are not looking for long-term complex investigations, the purpose of this task force is to get out there and to cause mass disruption through sustained pressure,” Detective Superintendent Craig Bellis said.

“Its all about being high tempo, high impact, sustained pressure, letting them know we are out there and we are doing this … for the AFP this is a little bit of a unique space.”

Det Supt Bellis said Vanguard was created to specifically combat the significant rise in drugs that has been flooding aircargo and mail stream with more than 11 tonnes already coming in through these forms this year.

Australian Federal Police Task Force Vanguard formed in July to create “sustained mass disruption” of organised crime.

A man arrested as part of Operation Syoksy.

It was started in NSW since 80 per cent of the nation’s mail enters the country via a centre in Sydney with the rest entering via Geelong.

The second Vanguard aspect is shutting down the millions of dollars being laundered.

On top of their busts, more than 40 other job leads had also been passed to NSW Police largely related to OMCG-run drug trafficking in regional NSW.

Internal governance and legislative reform were required to let Vanguard move quicker including in securing warrants.

Cocaine seized in Colombia as part of an Operation VanGuard investigation.

Detectives seized $70,000 cash during an alleged money laundering investigation.

“We are certainly employing methods that have not traditionally been used by police which means people are being surprisedwhen we have been coming,” Sup Bellis said.

“It’s an incredible team purpose picked, that think outside the box and think differently. I’m big on creating an environmentwhere we try new things, in a safe manner that is not jeopardising the safety of my members or the community, we are tryingnew things.”

AUSTRAC National Manager Intelligence Operations Michael Tink said Vanguard was a unique opportunity to get onto money launderingat its earliest stage.

“From our perspective its been a huge success and I think the model targeting volume crime in this way whether money launderingcash or drugs component has been hugely successful,” he said

Originally published as AFP’s new crime task fighters to smash drug rings