Chapter 2
From Customs to Australian Border Force
2.1
One significant question raised in the inquiry was what the
reorganisation of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs)
into the Australian Border Force (ABF) meant for Australian Commission for Law
Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI) and its jurisdiction.
2.2
This chapter examines the evolution and expansion of ACLEI's
jurisdiction, starting with the inclusion of Customs and the ground-breaking
Operation Heritage/Marca. It then considers the reorganisation of Customs into the
ABF within the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).
Historical context
2.3
At the time of ACLEI's establishment, its jurisdiction included the Australian
Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) (including the
former National Crime Authority). In February 2010, the committee tabled a
report on its inquiry into the operation of the LEIC Act. That report recommended
the immediate inclusion of Customs within ACLEI's jurisdiction due to 'the high
corruption risk nature of Customs'.[1]
As a general proposition the committee expressed support for the inclusion of
entire agencies, as opposed to prescribing certain functions or aspects:
The committee supports ACLEI's argument that it should have
whole-of-agency oversight of any agency brought within its remit regardless of
the role of individual staff members.[2]
2.4
Subject to finalising the budgetary matters, the then Government agreed
to the Committee's recommendation.[3]
2.5
Customs was brought within ACLEI's jurisdiction, initially from 1 January 2011
by regulation made under the LEIC Act.[4]
The entire agency was then included via the enactment of the Crimes
Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 2011, effective from 6 December
2011.[5]
Operation Heritage/Marca
2.6
One significant instance of corruption within Customs was illuminated by
Operation Heritage/Marca. This major investigation was a joint AFP-Customs-ACLEI
operation into the activities of a number of Customs staff working at Sydney
International Airport.[6]
On 4 January 2011, three days after Customs became subject to ACLEI's
jurisdiction, ten allegations of possible corrupt conduct were notified by the
then CEO of Customs, Mr Michael Carmody.[7]
2.7
One allegation was that one or more Customs officers at Sydney
International Airport were in regular contact with a person who was suspected
of involvement with the importation of border controlled substances, including
pseudoephedrine or other chemicals used in the manufacture of ecstasy.[8]
2.8
As a consequence, in March 2011 the Integrity Commissioner established
Taskforce Natio, a joint operations team comprised of ACLEI, Customs and the
AFP. The aim of the taskforce was:
...to investigate this allegation and related information
concerning the possible facilitation by other Australian Government officials
of illicit movements of border controlled substances.[9]
2.9
Taskforce Natio included Operation Heritage, which was an investigation into
the possible corrupt collaboration between Customs officers and others to
import illicit drugs through Sydney International Airport.[10]
The AFP contributed to the investigation through Operation Marca, which
included the provision of additional AFP resources.[11]
The name Heritage/Marca is used throughout this chapter to refer to this joint
ACLEI (Heritage) and AFP (Marca) investigation.
Investigation outcomes
2.10
As outlined above, Operation Heritage/Marca involved allegations of
corruption within Customs. As at 30 June 2014, eight Customs officers faced criminal
charges arising from Operation Heritage/Marca. The Integrity Commissioner
2013-14 Annual Report, which provided a summary of the final Operation Heritage
report, noted:
...three of the [Customs] officers had been convicted of
offences relating to abuse of public office, bribery and drug importation.
Having regard to various court proceedings still underway, including appeals,
the Integrity Commissioner decided to reserve indefinitely his findings in
relation to these eight officers.
The conduct of five other [Customs] officers—who were not
charged with criminal offences—was also investigated and appropriate
disciplinary action was taken by [Customs]...[12]
2.11
The annual report also noted that overall, as at October 2014, Operation
Heritage/Marca has resulted in 19 convictions for a range of criminal offences
in 2012-13, 2013-14 and the early parts of 2014-15.[13]
Since that time, 3 additional convictions have been achieved with the total now
standing at 22. A further 3 matters continue to be progressed.[14]
Observations of Heritage/Marca
2.12
The annual report stated that anti-corruption treatments and agency
structures must be re-examined and re-configured to strengthen anti‑corruption
resistance.[15]
In its submission to this inquiry, ACLEI maintained strong concerns about the
levels of pressure exerted by organised crime on Australian law enforcement
agencies, especially those with proximity to the border.[16]
2.13
Further, ACLEI supported the establishment of the ABF based on the
lessons derived from Operation Heritage/Marca:
...there is a strong link between integrity and
organisational capability... Accordingly, [the final Operation Heritage
investigation report] supported the Australian Border Force concept...as an
important integrity initiative.[17]
2.14
In May 2014, the government announced the transferral of Customs into
the ABF. Critically, the explanatory memorandum for the ABF bill notes that the
ABF would be subject to a number of integrity provisions to 'increase
resistance to criminal infiltration and corruption and to enhance government
and public confidence in Immigration and Border Protection workers...'[18]
Organisational change
2.15
Operation Heritage/Marca has had a lasting effect on both Customs, its
successor the ABF, as well as on ACLEI itself. The Integrity Commissioner's interim
report on Operation Heritage/Marca notes that the investigation 'resulted in
considerable changes to Custom's integrity policy, practice and organisational
arrangements.'[19]
2.16
The interim report also notes that as a result of Operation
Heritage/Marca the LEIC Act was amended in 2012 to introduce:
...specific anti-corruption measures for [Customs]–namely,
drug and alcohol testing, the power for the CEO to declare that a dismissal was
for a reason of serious misconduct (which modifies appeal rights), and an
authority to issue binding orders relating to conduct and integrity (such as
mandatory reporting of misconduct). The new powers bring [Customs] into closer
alignment with integrity arrangements already in place in the AFP and the ACC.[20]
Reorganising Customs into Australian Border Force
2.17
The question of the inclusion of the entire DIBP within ACLEI's
jurisdiction was settled following the decision by the government to
significantly change the agencies responsible for Australia's border. This is
reflected in the decision to not only re-organise Customs into the ABF, but to also
integrate the ABF within DIBP as its 'operational arm'.[21]
2.18
Prior to the merger, Customs and the DIBP provided a joint submission to
the inquiry which noted that the consolidated DIBP would provide a streamlined
approach with respect to the management of Australia's borders. Further, the
joint submission outlined the agencies' support for the extension of ACLEI's
jurisdiction to at least the law enforcement function of those agencies:
The functions of the Department of Agriculture and DIBP
include border-related law enforcement responsibilities and the exercise of
powers that are potentially open to corruption. For this reason, [Customs] and
DIBP are of the view that, at a minimum, the law enforcement functions of these
agencies should be subject to ACLEI's jurisdiction.[22]
2.19
The ABF was created on 1 July 2015, with the integration of Customs into
DIBP. The former functions of Customs were transferred into the ABF through the
enactment of the Customs and Other Legislation Amendment (Australian Border
Force) Act 2015. Upon the bill's introduction in the House of Representatives,
the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon Peter Dutton MP,
noted:
...the Bill substitutes the Department of Immigration and
Border Protection for [Customs] as the primary agency with overarching
responsibility for protecting our borders.[23]
2.20
The Minister explained that the inclusion of customs functions within
the DIBP would result in the expansion of ACLEI's jurisdiction:
The Bill proposes that the Integrity Commissioner's
jurisdiction would be broadened to apply to the Department of Immigration and
Border Protection on a whole of agency basis, from 1 July 2015.[24]
2.21
The passage of the Customs and Other Legislation Amendment
(Australian Border Force) Act 2015 effectively settled the question of
whether ACLEI's jurisdiction should apply to the entirety of the new ABF-DIBP
arrangement.
Support for DIBP's inclusion
2.22
Noting the Minister's support for the inclusion of DIBP within ACLEI's
jurisdiction, there was also broad support from submitters and witnesses for
DIBP's inclusion.
2.23
For instance the Hon Stephen Charles, a member of the Accountability
Round Table (ART) noted that ART generally 'supports the extension of ACLEI's
jurisdiction to...the entire Department of Immigration and Border Protection.'[25]
2.24
The former CEO of Customs and now head of DIBP, Mr Mike Pezzullo
supported whole-of-DIBP inclusion saying that 'I would have thought the easier
thing to do would be to have universal coverage on a jurisdictional basis.'[26]
2.25
Mr Martin Bowles, the former Secretary of DIBP supported Mr Pezzullo's view
for whole-of-DIBP inclusion:
One thing though is that the entire organisation [the
amalgamated DIBP], all 14,000-plus people, should fit under the [ACLEI] umbrella
and then we work out, with ACLEI, what the coverage is, what the touch points
are. As Mr Pezzullo said, you cannot be half in and
half out.[27]
Committee view
2.26
The committee notes that from 1 July 2015 DIBP was included on an
all-of-agency basis within ACLEI's jurisdiction. Although the main question
posed by this chapter has now been settled, the committee also notes the strong
support for the inclusion of the entire Department of Immigration and Border
Protection in ACLEI's jurisdiction.
2.27
The committee agrees that the potential corruption risks within DIBP are
best addressed through the inclusion of the entirety of DIBP within ACLEI's
jurisdiction. The committee commends the pragmatic approach taken by Mr
Pezzullo of 'liberal referrals' to ACLEI to avoid 'definitional quagmires' and
a 'downward spiral' of not informing the Integrity Commissioner of potential
corruption issues.[28]
2.28
The committee also notes that additional funding has been allocated for
ACLEI's expanded jurisdiction in the 2015‑16 Budget, including for the coverage
of DIBP.[29]
The committee supports further budgetary supplementation commensurate with any
future expansions of ACLEI's jurisdiction.
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