Section 3: Special ACIC operations

Active operations

This section describes the aims and activities of special ACIC operations in 2024–25. The ACIC’s Annual Report 2024–25 contains additional details on its achievements in priority areas, including comparisons with previous reporting periods.

Cybercrime

Cyber-related crime covers a wide variety of offences that present a significant threat to Australia, including identity crime, computer hacking, phishing, botnets, computer-facilitated crime, and cyber intrusion directed at private and national infrastructure. 

Advances in technology have offered new opportunities for serious and organised crime groups, which use increasingly sophisticated methods to counter law enforcement efforts. Cybercriminal groups can target thousands of Australians simultaneously from anywhere in the world. They enhance their capability through dark web forums and marketplaces in which they share tools, techniques and information.

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Cybercrime) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses information and intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised crime’s involvement in cyber-related crime. The Cybercrime 2022 special operation is focused on offences directed at computers or other information communications technologies and offending facilitated by computer.

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect intelligence on cyber-related crime activities

• identify persons and entities committing cyber-related crime offences

• understand the dynamic and changing environment in which cybercrime offences are committed

• understand the scale of impacts of cybercrime offences, such as the numbers and types of victims, the financial impacts, and the extent of cyber security vulnerabilities

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms. 

Drugs

The illicit drug trade poses significant socioeconomic and health risks to the Australian public. The social burden that illicit drugs place on the community, along with the long-term health consequences of their use, led to the development of the Australian Government’s National Drug Strategy. 

The ACIC provides leading-edge national research and intelligence on illicit drugs and licit drugs that can be abused, through the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.

The ACIC also produces the Illicit Drug Data Report, which provides governments, law enforcement agencies and interested stakeholders with a national picture of illicit drug data. The report provides an important evidence base to assess current and future illicit drug trends, and assists decision-makers in the development of strategies to combat the threat posed by illicit drugs.

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Drugs) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses information and intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised crime relating to drug offences. Drug offences that fall within the scope of the special operation include trafficking, manufacturing, possessing, and importing and exporting illicit drugs. 

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• monitor, investigate and collect evidence on the illicit drug markets, both domestically and internationally, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the serious and organised criminal threats that impact Australia

• identify persons and entities committing drug offences, and the relationships between different persons and entities

• identify emerging techniques, equipment and materials in the manufacture of illicit and licit drugs that may be exploited by serious and organised crime groups

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms.

The special operation also examines and investigates offences against the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, which sets out the legal requirements for the importation, supply and manufacture of therapeutic goods in Australia. 

Firearms

Firearms are used by serious and organised crime groups to protect criminal interests and commit acts of violence. The use and possession of firearms by serious and organised crime groups and the trafficking and importation of illicit firearms are serious concerns for Australia. 

Illicit firearms are a desirable commodity for serious and organised crime groups and an enabler of criminal activity. Traffickers supply illicit firearms to organised crime networks, either by illegally obtaining them from the licit market or by facilitating their illegal manufacture or importation.

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Firearms) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses information and intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised crime’s involvement in illicit firearms. 

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect intelligence on the illicit firearms market

• identify persons and entities involved in committing firearm-related offences and identify the relationships between the persons and entities involved

• understand the methods and techniques by which serious and organised crime groups source and supply firearms

• identify vulnerabilities in the industries and processes involved in the importation or distribution of firearms

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms.

Illicit Tobacco

Illicit tobacco is the importation and exportation of tobacco and the selling or manufacturing of tobacco where the required customs/excise duty has not been paid. 

The illicit tobacco market in Australia is viewed as a low-risk, high-reward venture for serious and organised crime groups. Illicit tobacco generates significant profits, allowing criminal groups to absorb losses from detection and disruption. Criminal groups will continue to adapt their methodologies in response to enforcement strategies.

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Illicit Tobacco) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised crime’s involvement relating to illicit tobacco. 

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect intelligence on the illicit tobacco market

• identify persons and entities involved in committing offences related to illicit tobacco, and identify the relationships between those persons and entities 

• understand the methods and techniques by which serious and organised crime groups conduct this offending

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms.

National Security Threats

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (National Security Threats) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised threats impacting Australia’s national security.

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect evidence of national security threats

• identify and investigate security-related risks to Australia’s economy, institutions and governments

• identify persons and entities involved in committing offences related to national security and identify the relationships between those persons and entities 

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes to address vulnerabilities and combat national security threats.

Serious Financial Crime

Serious financial crime encompasses financial offending: fraud, money laundering, financial information offences, superannuation and investment fraud, foreign acquisitions, sanctions, sophisticated tax evasion, and serious company violation offences. 

Almost all organised crime is motivated by profit. The ACIC helps to remove the financial motivation to engage in criminal activity by investigating financial crime, and developing and disseminating intelligence that better informs the response to financially motivated criminal activity.

The ACIC’s investigations incorporate the work of multi-agency national task forces, including:

• the Fraud Fusion Taskforce, to detect, disrupt and prevent fraud and serious and organised crime in the National Disability Insurance Scheme and other government programs 

• the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce, to facilitate the coordinated identification of, and response to, financially motivated criminal activity

• the Phoenix Taskforce, the Black Economy Standing Taskforce and the Fintel Alliance, to enhance the integrity of the financial system in Australia.

The ACIC Board-approved Task Force Reston facilitates the sharing of criminal information within the Fraud Fusion Taskforce and supports the development of enhanced national responses to detect, disrupt and prevent fraud and related criminal activity within Australian Government payments and programs. 

The Fraud Fusion Centre leads the ACIC’s contribution of mission critical intelligence to the Fraud Fusion Taskforce and Task Force Reston. The Fraud Fusion Centre brings together a multi-disciplinary team of investigators, intelligence analysts and data specialists to identify and target serious and organised crime networks and other fraud actors exploiting Australian Government programs and payments designed to help the most vulnerable members of society.

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Serious Financial Crime) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses information and intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised crime relating to financially motivated criminal activity. 

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect intelligence on financially motivated criminal activities

• identify persons and entities committing financially motivated criminal activities

• understand the dynamic environment of financial crime, such as new and emerging methodologies to launder money, including cryptocurrency

• identify vulnerabilities in Australia’s financial systems

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms.

Supply Chains (Imports and Exports)

Supply chains are used by serious and organised crime groups to facilitate the importation and exportation of drugs, illicit tobacco and regulated commodities. 

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Supply Chains (Imports and Exports)) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised threats impacting Australian supply chains.

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect evidence of threats impacting Australian supply chains

• identify persons and entities involved in committing criminal activity both domestically and internationally, and identify the relationships between those persons and entities

• understand the new and emerging methodologies used by serious and organised crime groups to import and export illicit commodities or goods that bypass law enforcement actions 

• identify vulnerabilities in the industries that are involved in the importation and exportation of goods, including the logistics, maritime, aviation and storage industries

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms.

Victim-Based Crime

Victim-based criminal activities include exploitation of child material, child sex offending, human trafficking, and slavery. 

Child sexual abuse and exploitation transcend international borders, and networking between child sex offenders underpins access to child abuse material, facilitators, methodologies and victims. 

Technology is enabling access to victims and driving more complex child abuse and exploitation activities. It is a vector for organised criminal networks to exploit, and will lead to industrial-scale opportunities for serious and organised crime and increase the risk to children and the volume of child sexual abuse. 

Human trafficking exploits vulnerable populations. Australia is a destination country of victims of human trafficking. Victims of human trafficking are exploited as a commodity to generate profit for serious and organised crime groups.

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Victim-Based Crime) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised crime’s involvement in victim-based offending. 

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect evidence of victim-based criminal offences

• identify persons and entities involved in committing criminal activity, and systems that are used by serious and organised crime groups to enable the exploitation of vulnerable persons

• identify opportunities to prevent organised abuse of children

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms.

Visa and Migration Fraud

Through the Special Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Operation Determination (Visa and Migration Fraud) 2022, the ACIC collects and analyses intelligence to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised crime’s involvement in people smuggling and offences against the Migration Act 1958, such as visa fraud and passport forgery.

The aim of the special operation is for the ACIC to:

• investigate and collect intelligence on how visa and migration fraud is facilitated for serious and organised crime groups by professional facilitators

• understand the methods and techniques by which criminals conduct visa and migration fraud

• understand the scale of visa and migration fraud and its impact on the Australian community

• identify vulnerabilities in industries involved in Australia’s migration program and disseminate intelligence to partner agencies to address those vulnerabilities

• disseminate intelligence to its partners to enable enforcement, disruption and prevention outcomes and to assist in the development of government policy and law reforms.

Intelligence products

In 2024–25, the ACIC delivered 2,002 unique intelligence products, including 96 strategic and operational assessments and insights, for its partners. 

Strategic assessments

The ACIC’s strategic assessments provide partners with assessments of crime types and markets or criminal issues of national importance. These assessments support and influence a range of intelligence, operational and response decisions, and inform government consideration of future strategies, including policy development and legislative reform. 

In 2024–25, the ACIC produced strategic assessments on a range of themes, including: 

• the serious and organised crime network landscape and threat

• the money laundering environment

• serious and organised crime exploitation of Australia’s migration system

• technical assessments concerning

• insights from wastewater analysis

• various drug manufacturing processes

• drugs impacting Australia – including fentanyl, fentanyl-type substances, nitazenes, xylazine, methylamphetamine, amphetamine and cocaine – and drug precursors.

Strategic and operational insights

The ACIC’s strategic and operational insights provide new insights into serious and organised crime threats, groups, vulnerabilities, methodologies and markets. These insights reflect key strategic observations and learnings from ACIC and partner intelligence and investigations, often gathered using coercive powers, covert capabilities and engagement with key agencies. 

Intended for stakeholders with an in-depth understanding of the organised crime environment, strategic and operational insights provide decision-makers with a concise understanding of changing or emerging issues or threats. They inform and influence appropriate operational, regulatory and policy responses. 

In 2024–25, the ACIC’s strategic and operational insights covered a range of themes, including: 

• the ACIC’s National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program and bespoke wastewater projects

• illicit drugs, including trends in drug markets and contemporary and potential threats posed by specific drugs

• illicit tobacco market dynamics

• the threat posed by serious and organised crime’s involvement with 3D-printed and privately manufactured firearms

• National Disability Insurance Scheme fraud and vulnerabilities

• threats posed by outlaw motorcycle gangs

• new methods and trends in money laundering, including the use of financial technology

• criminal communication.

Disseminations

The ACIC made 12,500 disseminations of intelligence products to 291 partners in 2024–25. 

Three types of partners receive intelligence products from the ACIC: ACIC Board member agencies; other Australian partners; and certain law enforcement and intelligence agencies outside Australia, such as the United Kingdom National Crime Agency and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. 

The ACIC’s non-board Australian partners include stakeholders not involved in traditional law enforcement – such as policy and regulatory agencies, and bodies involved in the social services, health, forensic services, aviation, and sports integrity sectors – who benefit from intelligence around vulnerabilities and potential criminal threats. 

In 2024–25, 63% of all disseminations were to ACIC Board member agencies, 20% were to non-board Australian partners, and 17% were to international partners.

The ACIC disclosed information to 2 private sector bodies, on a total of 2 occasions, in accordance with the circumstances defined in section 59AB of the ACC Act. Information or intelligence products were disclosed to sporting and betting entities.

Quantitative results

Quantitative details of all special ACIC operations conducted in 2024–25 are presented in Table 3.1. Table 3.1 does not include results from ACIC activities that were not related to special ACIC operations.