Annual Report - COMPLETE - Australian Crime Commission

Determination - South-East Asian Organised Crime (SEAOC)
The SEAOC Determination
commenced in May 2003 with the
aim of investigating organised crime
groups involved in the importation
of illicit drugs from South East
Asia, particularly heroin, and
associated offences including
money laundering, tax fraud and
violence. It was moved into the ECN
Determination as of 1 June 2004.
Since 1995, South-East Asian
organised crime groups operating in
Australia have been specifi cally targeted
as part of a coordinated law enforcement response. ACC intelligence has contributed
to providing an updated national law enforcement overview of this area. However, it
has become increasingly apparent that SEAOC groups are no longer confi ning their
criminal activities to specifi c crimes, and are increasingly willing to cooperate with
criminal entities of various ethnic backgrounds to meet market demands for a range
of drug commodities. This was highlighted in the ACC’s Katakan and Djura (phase
3) operations and recent Joint Asian Crime Group (JACG) drug seizures.
The blurring of distinctions between ethnic criminal groups, coupled with the shift from
perceived traditional product lines, led the ACC to merge the SEAOC Determination
into the ECN Determination. This area of crime will continue to be targeted through
the ECN Determination during 2004–05.
Operation Katakan resulted in the restraint of a signifi cant amount of property under
Commonwealth legislation. Amounts of $115,000 and $750,000 were also recovered
by the NSW Crime Commission as proceeds of crime.
Table 4.9: Output 1.3 – SEAOC proceeds of crime forfeited
Measure Total
Assets restrained $5,800,000
ACC coercive powers under the SEAOC Determination were used in tactical
operations and intelligence projects, in conjunction with partner agencies, to reduce
the impact of SEAOC-related crime on the Australian community. Coercive powers
identifi ed suspect money movements and business and property investment believed
to be associated with drug traffi cking (Djura 3) and led to numerous arrests and
charges of members of a drug importing and traffi cking syndicate (Katakan).
64 I ACC ANNUAL REPORT 2003–04
Decorative wall plaques used to conceal
pseudoephedrine