The National Criminal Intelligence System (NCIS) is a critical capability developed by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) in partnership with Australian police agencies and the Department of Home Affairs. NCIS connects data from the ACIC and law enforcement agencies by combining information from multiple systems and jurisdictions to provide a comprehensive unified national picture of criminal activity. Sharing this data as a single view, when and where it’s needed, allows law enforcement officers to be better informed about risks, details of entities, events of interest and a person’s history. Through this, NCIS enhances their ability to prevent and respond to criminal activity across state and territory borders.
A recent investigation by Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate (SLED) within New South Wales Police Force spanning multiple jurisdictions showcased the transformative power of NCIS in dismantling a sophisticated criminal enterprise. A network of locksmith scammers, unable to obtain licences in New South Wales, exploited a loophole by obtaining licences in another state and leveraging mutual recognition laws to operate throughout Australia. Beyond deceiving customers, this criminal group was also involved in extensive financial fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and escalating acts of violence. Their mobility and cross-border tactics made them exceptionally elusive, that is, until NCIS changed the game.
Using NCIS, SLED investigators were able to access real-time data from multiple agencies. This included incident reports across states and international travel movements, which proved critical in identifying behavioural patterns and persons of interest. The intelligence gathered led to visa revocations and key arrests, effectively disrupting the operations of the criminal group.
This case reflects the borderless nature of serious and organised crime networks and the necessity for the equally borderless information sharing that NCIS is delivering to our Australian partners.
Executive Director Intelligence and Information Systems Heidi Madden said we’ve entered the next phase of NCIS development, expanding its reach by integrating richer data to include intelligence material from additional police agencies.
“We’re also enhancing the platform itself by improving how data is ingested and managed, strengthening security, and boosting overall performance. These upgrades will help reduce sustainment costs and support future extensibility.
“Our next major uplift in November will see the transition of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Database into NCIS, merging criminal intelligence with operational policing data to deliver even deeper insights,” Ms Madden said.
With more than 52,000 active users and over 50 million searches conducted in the past year, NCIS is rapidly becoming the backbone of national law enforcement collaboration.
As it continues to expand and evolve, NCIS empowers agencies with the information needed to stay ahead of increasingly agile and borderless criminal threats.
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