Crime syndicates ‘piggybacking’ off legitimate Melbourne companies

Crime syndicates are “piggybacking” off legitimate Melbourne companies to import huge drug shipments. Here’s how they do it.

Crime syndicates are using lawful business to carry out drug smuggling missions. Picture: Stock image

Australian crime syndicates are secretly using legitimate companies to import huge drug shipments.

The transnational gangs run a system known as the “piggyback method”, taking details from the lawful business to create a web of false credentials to carry out smuggling missions.

False domain names and email addresses similar to that of the company are set up to make arrangements for consignments.

Organisers then book an ostensibly legitimate import cargo to be sent from overseas to the legitimate business.

But that shipment will also contain narcotics and is collected from a customs broker before it can reach the real company.

Piggybacking gives an appearance of legitimacy to the cargo and allows key organisers to distance themselves from what is happening.

Australian Federal Police agents last year investigated a Victorian group which had built fake identities and registered falsely subscribed phones and credit cards.

Nathan Bertucci is accused of heading a crime syndicate that piggybacked off a legitimate Melbourne-based whitegoods company.

That syndicate had arranged a large amount of machinery to be shipped in from Asia.

But, detectives allege, hundreds of kilograms of ice were inside the equipment when it was delivered to Melbourne’s western suburbs.

It was seized by investigators and more than $1 million confiscated.

Agents later also uncovered more than 40 mobile phones, some encrypted, at a business linked to one of the suspects.

Cocaine and a large amount of cash were found as that warrant was carried out.

AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Craig Bellis told the Sunday Herald Sun the term Piggybacking was coined to describe the unwitting use of companies to facilitate the importation of drugs.

“Piggybacking could be as simple as using the details of legitimate companies as the consignor or consignee on a drug importation,” Acting Supt Bellis said.

“This means that the criminal syndicate does not need to establish companies specifically for the purposes of an importation and (syndicates) perceive there is a reduced risk of detection by Australian law enforcement by using established companies with legitimate import histories.”

In November AFP officers raided the home of Nathan Bertucci, 33, and took him into custody in Queensland.

He was subsequently charged over the April 2019 seizure of 200kg of methamphetamine which arrived from Canada.

Mr Bertucci is accused of heading a crime syndicate that piggybacked off a legitimate Melbourne-based whitegoods company in a bid to avoid scrutiny of an illicit air cargo.

Crime syndicates in Australia have also historically piggybacked illicit goods in legitimate imports by using the “rip on-rip off’ method.

Illicit goods, such as drugs, are hidden within legitimate containers or packages departing an overseas port and are then extracted by trusted insiders within the supply chain in Australia.

The AFP is working closely with private industry to combat piggybacking.

Australian companies have been warned they should be wary of approaches by people seeking to import goods under the guise of their organisation, and report such approaches to Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or the Department of Home Affairs Border Watch.

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