World’s top cops gather in Melbourne to crack down on gang crime

Top cops from around the world are joining forces in Melbourne to share intelligence on how to fight the rising global threat of organised crime.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill says organised crime is more sophisticated than ever before. Picture: Ian Currie

Top cops from across the globe will on Wednesday converge in Melbourne to talk about gangs. The anti-bikie Echo task force and Gang Crime Squad will host the Victoria Police International Gangs Conference, a three-day forum delving into gangs at street level to the Italian mafia.

Investigators from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, London and San Francisco say gangs are a global threat which requires law enforcement to share intelligence.

Detective Inspector Graham Banks said countering organised crime involved understanding how different regions tackled emerging and ongoing criminal activity.

But while Australian Federal Police’s Operation Ironside has unveiled unprecedented intelligence leading to arrests, Inspector Banks said the fight was never over. “Ironside captured just a percentage of encrypted transactions of organised crime groups,” he said.

The forum will discuss the trajectory of street gangs, outlaw bikies, Middle-Eastern organised crime, the mafia and gang crime in other regions.

A focus will also be placed on how gangs use technology.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said organised crime was more sophisticated than ever before.

“In recent years, we have experienced significant advances in gang behaviour predominantly through the use of technology,” Mr Hill said.