THE AUSTRALIAN Border Force has been conducting surveillance operations in Western Australia’s Mid West, looking for drug smugglers.
Last week ABF officers in the Geraldton Port patrolled the Batavia Marina boat ramp and Geraldton fishing harbour. They also boarded vessels entering the port.
The ABF undertakes operational activity in regional areas to target drug smuggling, with new technology to help officers detect drugs hidden on the hulls of ships.
ABF Superintendent Shaun Senior said Australia is an attractive market for transnational serious organised criminal syndicates seeking to import illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
“Historically, most of the drugs coming into Australian sea ports were hidden in cargo on commercial ships,” Superintendent Senior said.
“Modern, professional crime syndicates are always looking for new ways to avoid our targeting capabilities in sea ports.”
“The purpose of the operation is to harden the border by delivering a co-ordinated and sustained capability to discover, detect, disrupt and dismantle transnational organised crime that may compromise Australia’s border integrity.
“The Australian border is a critical national asset that goes well beyond defining national territory. Our border protects our interest, drives economic prosperity and connects us to the world.”
“We worked closely with our law enforcement partners, including the Australian Federal Police, WA Police and also local port authorities, including Mid West Ports here in Geraldton.”
“Together we will continue to make the border a hostile environment for criminals trying to import illicit drugs.”
In 2017, the ABF and our law enforcement partners made a record breaking seizure of methamphetamine. A total of 1.2 tonnes were seized after a vessel arrived in the Geraldton Port.
