Approach on Counter Intelligence Essay

The Effectiveness of Counterdrug Intelligence in Australia

The term “counterdrug intelligence” describes the proactive steps taken to stop the production, trafficking, and following use of illegal drugs. First and foremost, such an activity helps to inform and encourage Australian youth to abstain from using illegal substances. Second, by ensuring that drug-related and violent crime are at stable and low levels, the practice contributes to an increase in national security for its people. Thirdly, it has assisted in lowering healthcare costs that the illicit use of drugs causes in society. It has also shielded Australia’s air, land, and sea frontiers from the drug threat. On the same note, it has been widely acknowledged by many scholars that the practice has contributed in breaking domestic and foreign drug supply sources. It has not gone unnoticed that law enforcement and state organizations need information to disassemble real drug trafficking associations successfully. Their actions have made intelligence an important aspect of the investigations as it can be used in finding information on the structure, funds, and interchanges of drug trafficking associations and specific points of interest in illegal drug operations or illegal tax avoidance exercises. Finally, the case of revealing an Australia-based Albanian drug syndicate can serve as an example of the effectiveness of counter drug intelligence in modern society.

Analysis of the Case Study

An Australia-based Albanian drug syndicate was into the business of importing methamphetamine into the country. Accordingly, the methamphetamine, estimated to be around 30 kilograms at a value of 20 million AUD, was smuggled into Australia through an imported vehicle from the United States of America (USA). International funds transfer instructions (IFTIs) were involved to fund the importation of the substance through the state borders. The following indicators were used to help with the investigations:

The accompanying signs may distinguish comparable criminal exercises:

Substantial value IFTIs sent abroad, financed with money;

Different IFTIs sent overseas to a similar recipient in a brief period, around the same time or within seven days;

Different IFTIs got by Australian winners by the same client in abundance of AUD10,000 in a brief period, for example, over seven days.

During the investigations, the law enforcement agency uncovered that the driver used a dispatch containing an imported vehicle from the USA which was paid for by an IFTI. Pending the inspection of the shipment, law enforcement found in the car around 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Furthermore, two guilty parties who were identified during the period of examination were responsible for the importation of disguised drugs in the vehicle. Guilty party C, an Italian national dwelling in Australia on a transitory visa, was additionally recognized as helping offender B to get to the medications. Law enforcement agency then substituted the drugs, and a controlled conveyance was attempted to guilty party A’s premises. Law enforcement officials watched criminal suspects B and C obtaining hardware that was used to get the drugs from the vehicle. The next day, the offender B was observed entering the carport of guilty culprit A’s home. During investigations, culprit B was arrested with drugs, and later, culprit A was arrested in a close-by location while the Law enforcement officials arrested the culprit C at an airplane terminal. During the period of investigation, the contribution of guilty offender B was revealed, and two bundles were found in offender B’s residence, which was imported using air freight and contained cocaine disguised in attire items. The law enforcement agency collected around 30kg of methamphetamine, 16kg of cocaine, a vehicle brought in from the USA, 3500 of Australian Dollars in cash and Computer equipment plus other equipment availed in facilitating the importation.

The Contribution of the Industry

There was information from the Threshold Transaction Reports (TTRs) gathered by detailing elements such as a remitter and banks, which helped in connecting the buyer of the imported vehicle and money transactions made by guilty party A. These included:

ATTR identifying with an IFTI of around AUD 40,800 sent to a recipient in the United States and financed with cash

Two money withdrawals of AUD 10,000 and AUD 15,000 and a cash deposit of AUD 10,000 over a three-year time span.

Furthermore, exchange announcing by banks and remitters helped with the examination, which allowed AUSTRAC to get five suspicious matter reports (SMRs) which assisted in the identification of two individuals operating the syndicate. Firstly, SMR pointed the fundamental business part’s utilization of separate records and false names with different money related establishments. Secondly, there were SMRs identified with the essential suspect and another partner’s association in unlawful movement, for example, card and cabin fraudulent skimming claims. IFTI detailing demonstrated that individuals from the syndicate sent roughly AUD51,000 to similar recipients in the United States, where the assets were utilized to buy weapons lawfully.

The Commitment of AUSTRAC

Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) investigation of transaction reports helped with the identification of people involved in the criminal act, both from inside the syndicate and connections to the abroad supply organization network. The investigation affirmed the buying of the foreign vehicle using an IFTI value of AUD40,800 sent to a recipient in the USA. The exchange examination reports uncovered great streams of funds using IFTIs over an eight-year time span, both into Australia and abroad:

A sum of 17 IFTIs esteemed at AUD 200,000 were gotten by offender A and a relative from overseas clients in Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and the United States.

Of the AUD 200,000 inbound IFTIs gotten by guilty party A and a relative, three IFTIs totaling AUD147,365 were gotten over a two-month time span preceding the importation. Each of the three IFTIs was over the AUD10,000 limits, with one being for AUD 114,300.

A sum of 84 IFTIs esteemed at AUD133,610 were sent by guilty party A and a relative to abroad recipients in Albania, Norway, Serbia, Turkey and the United States.

Except for one IFTI which identified with the buyer of the vehicle for AUD40,800, they were organized sums going from AUD95 to AUD9,000. Now and again, different IFTIs were sent around the same time, or inside seven days, to a similar recipient.

Results of the Counterdrug Intelligence

From the examination, three syndicate individuals were captured and charged:

Guilty party A was accused of bringing in a business amount of a border controlled drug and condemned to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Culprit B was charged with endeavoring to have a business amount of an outskirt controlled drug and was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.

Party C was accused of plotting to import a business amount of a fringe controlled drug and was condemned to 11 years’ imprisonment.

Conclusion

From the above discussions on the Australian-based Albanian drug syndicate, it is clear that it explains the ways through which counter-drug intelligence applies to daily law enforcement agencies. The methods applicable to the operations of nations and law enforcement agencies have been described in details to give a comprehensive understanding of everything involved in the activities. The existence of man guilty parties, alongside the arrests made after ransacking their homes and finding contrabands, only point to the evidence of the effectiveness of the counter-drug intelligence in Australia. The paper has explained the ways through which the knowledge of counter-drug intelligence has been implemented in Australia, most specifically towards efforts of educating and helping country’s youths to reject the use of illegal drugs. Moreover, through an example of the case study analysis, the paper has assisted in ensuring the safety of citizens in Australia by reducing the importation of drugs which often culminate into violence.

Bibliography

Australian Government. “Australia-Based Albanian Drug Syndicate Dismantled.” Austrac (2016). Accessed July 22, 2017. http://www.austrac.gov.au/case-studies/australia-based-albanian-drug-syndicate-dismantled.

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