AFP Warns of Rising Alliance Between Foreign Intelligence and Organized Crime

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has issued a warning regarding an increasing trend of foreign intelligence agencies collaborating with locally based organized criminals to commit serious crimes, including terrorism, within Australia.

Key Warnings from AFP Commissioner

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated that criminals are more frequently engaging with foreign "despots, dictators and disrupters." She indicated that state actors are leveraging existing criminal networks, particularly those sharing ethnicity or ideology, to conduct foreign interference, sabotage, or terrorism.

Documented Cases and Intensifying Trends

In recent years, the Iranian regime has been connected to two antisemitic attacks in Australia: one at Melbourne's Adass Israel synagogue and another at a Jewish bakery in Sydney. Australia's domestic security agency, ASIO, established direct links between these incidents and Iran's security agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is now listed as a state sponsor of terrorism in Australia.

Commissioner Barrett noted evidence in Australia and globally indicating this trend is intensifying. She explained that while organized criminals, such as outlaw motorcycle gangs, are primarily motivated by financial gain, foreign actors are offering alternative incentives. These may include a state actor overlooking or supporting illicit commodity trafficking by criminals. Some individuals performing these actions may not be aware of who is funding them, while others recognize the advantages of working for state actors.

Challenges and State Actor Benefits

Combating these new alliances between foreign actors and organized crime presents challenges, as these activities can be difficult to detect and prosecute. Offences such as break-ins and vandalism, typically investigated by state police, can signify more significant underlying foreign interference.

Commissioner Barrett highlighted overseas examples where organized crime has acted on behalf of state actors to target diaspora communities, harass political dissidents, steal intellectual property, or incite political unrest. These international cases are viewed as a warning sign for Australia.

Foreign actors benefit from using criminals due to the plausible deniability it provides, alongside it being a more cost-effective and lower-risk approach than deploying their own operatives.

A New Policing Approach

The AFP recognizes that policing this type of crime may require a modified approach. While arrests and charges remain important, the agency aims to focus more on disrupting and frustrating criminal activities before they escalate. This involves quicker interventions in lower-level crimes and utilizing civil actions, such as targeting unlawful criminal profits, rather than solely pursuing court proceedings.