Operation Fortitude: Victoria Police contradict Peter Dutton

Public transport agencies claim their role was limited to turning up at a press conference with an officer in uniform.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has repeatedly claimed Operation Fortitude was strictly aimed at taxi drivers in Melbourne’s CBD.

Victoria Police has contradicted Immigration Minister Peter ­­Dut­ton’s claim that last week’s Operation Fortitude was primarily aimed at the taxi industry, as ­red-faced agencies distance themselves from the row.

A police spokeswoman disputed Mr Dutton’s claim that the paramilitary-style officers of the newly formed Australian Border Force were brought into the ­operation because it was targeting visa-cheating taxi drivers. “The operation focused on public transport offences, of which taxi compliance was only one ­aspect,” she said.

Mr Dutton has repeatedly claimed the operation was strictly aimed at taxi drivers in Melbourne’s CBD, with border force officers joining Victoria Police to check work permits, licences and roadworthiness.

Mr Dutton’s ­office yesterday reiterated the claim. “It was ­designed to target the taxi ­industry,” a spokeswoman said.

The Weekend Australian under­stands the operation collapsed despite having been planned since June. It was called off eight days ago after a storm over a press release written by ABF officials suggesting visa checks would be undertaken in Melbourne’s CBD.

Yesterday, Victorian Taxi Ser­vices Commission chief executive Aaron De Rozario refused to answer direct questions relating to Operation Fortitude or confirm if visa noncompliance was a concern. Victoria Police also ­refused to answer questions on the extent of visa noncompliance among taxi drivers.

“If police intercept someone for a law-enforcement purpose, and become aware throughout the ­interaction that there may be an issue with someone’s ­legitimate status … they may seek advice from the Australian Border Force,” a spokeswoman said.

A spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection yesterday reiterated that its role in Operation Fortitude was limited to “supporting” Victoria Police. “The ABF’s role was a supporting one in terms of receiving referrals from Victoria Police or the Victorian Taxi Dir­ectorate and undertaking visa status checks to determine compliance with visa conditions,” he said. “Operation Fortitude was to be a Victoria Police-led, multi-agency activity.”

The Weekend Australian can also reveal that public transport agencies involved in the operation claim their role was limited to turning up at a press conference with an officer in uniform. A spokesman for Yarra Trams and a spokeswoman for Metro Trains said they were told of the operation by Victoria Police, but were merely asked to send a uniformed officer to a press conference on the steps of Flinders Street Station at 2pm.

This is in contrast to Operation Fortitude’s announcement, where Victoria Police, the newly formed Australian Border Force, Yarra Trams, Metro Trains, the Sheriff’s Office and the Taxi Services Commission were touted as part of the multi-agency raid on visa fraud.