Annual Report - COMPLETE - Australian Crime Commission

• Viking Task Force: The ACC provides investigative, analytical and operational
support resources and infrastructure to Viking. Investigations led to the arrest of 12
people in South Australia and Western Australia, and the seizure of 1.75 kgs heroin
and 30 grams amphetamines during the period of the SEAOC Determination.
_________________________________________________________________
Operation Katakan
In June 2003, 728 grams heroin was seized en-route from Sydney to Brisbane.
The ACC commenced an investigation into the identification of syndicate members,
their drug sources and trafficking methodologies. A further 700 grams of heroin was
seized in July 2003, and two people were arrested in Sydney with the assistance of
Queensland and New South Wales Police.
The ACC and Queensland Police Service investigators seized a further 3400 ecstasy
tablets, $62,900 cash, 250 grams of heroin, 60 grams of cannabis, and 500 grams
of cocaine. Cooperation with the AFP resulted in the further seizure of 272 grams of
cocaine from an air passenger arriving in Sydney from overseas in January 2004.
In April 2004, search warrants were executed across South East Queensland by
the ACC and Queensland Police investigators. Leading syndicate members were
arrested, and property with an estimated value of $5.8 million was restrained under
the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Clth). Further small quantities of drugs (including
amphetamine, cannabis, heroin, LSD and MDMA) and cash were also seized.
An ACC examination programme was conducted after the arrests. In May 2004,
another person was arrested returning from overseas and charged in relation to
the January 2004 cocaine importation. In total 17 people were arrested during
the investigation.
This investigation highlighted the difficulties faced by law enforcement agencies in
categorising organised criminal activity in cultural, geographic or specific commodity
terms. Members of the wider network arrested during this investigation included people
of Anglo-Saxon, Central and Southern European, Middle Eastern and South East
Asian background, whilst the range of drugs trafficked fluctuated according to trends
of availability and demand within the marketplace. The seized commodities included
heroin imported from South East Asia, cocaine imported from Lebanon and MDMA
(ecstasy) tablets which are suspected to have been manufactured in Europe.
_________________________________________________________________
Additional outputs include use of SEAOC findings to assist the drafting of law reform
proposals in respect to the inclusion of indictable offences in the Victorian Fisheries
Act (arising from investigations into illegal harvesting and export of abalone). Also,
proposals have been raised to amend Schedule VI of the Customs Act 1901 to include
pseudoephedrine as a prohibited drug import so adequate sentencing options become
available for convictions of unlawful importation of the substance into Australia.
ACC ANNUAL REPORT 2003–04 I 67
4
OUTPUT 1.3: INVESTIGATIONS INTO FEDERALLY RELEVANT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY