Federal Budget 2023: New boost to combat bikies, terrorists organised crime
Monitoring freed convicted Australian terrorists and returned terrorists comes at a cost. But authorities have revealed an unlikely source of paying for it.
Monitoring convicted terrorists who are back in the community will cost taxpayers $178,000 a day, as ASIO warns lone-wolf attackers remain a threat.
Budget papers reveal $130m has been allocated over two years to track high-risk terror offenders after they have been released at the end of their sentences.
The overall terror threat has been reduced from probable to possible but the budget papers warn teenagers are at risk of radicalisation.
“Australia remains a potential terrorist target, with the most likely form of attack conducted by a ‘lone actor’ or small cells on the periphery of established groups that escalate to violence with little or no warning,” budget papers signed off by Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said.
“The reach of extremist content online means that individuals are radicalising very quickly.”
The overall ASIO budget will increase by $12.2m to $532.1m.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus blasted the former Liberal government’s “wilful mishandling” of high-risk offenders, saying it failed to lock in long-term funding for monitoring them.
The cost of surveillance for convicted terrorists will be offset by seizures of cash from organising criminals.
Bikie bosses are at risk of losing their Lamborghinis, with a beefed-up Serious Financial Crime Taskforce targeting unexplained wealth and tax dodging.
The task force was expected to bring in almost $300m in seized assets in the next five years.
Senior police sources said targeting criminals’ cash was a crucial tool in cracking down on crime.
Seizing criminals’ assets, including cash, luxury homes and cars, limited their ability to fund drug imports, the sources added.
“An extension of these programs will maximise the disruption of organised crime groups that seek to undermine the integrity of Australia’s public finances,” Budget Paper No.2 states.
Organised crime costs Australia $60bn each year, with bikie gangs controlling at least $10bn in the nation’s illicit drugs market.
The profits of the drug trade are the lifeblood of organised crime, with dirty cash washed through legitimate businesses or real estate.
An extra $14.3m has been allocated to increase “Australia’s anti-money laundering framework”, according to the budget papers.
Meanwhile, high-profile hacks of Optus and Medibank Private have prompted an increased focus on cyber security as Australians do more of their banking on their phones.
“Reliance on the digital economy is rapidly increasing, a growth that has been matched by emerging vulnerabilities to cyber security threats,” Home Affairs budget papers state.
A new National Cyber Security Co-ordinator will be appointed to streamline the fight against hackers.
Originally published as Federal Budget 2023: New boost to combat bikies, terrorists organised crime
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