The Australian government's approach to combating organised crime

Organised crime is an issue of national security that causes direct and indirect harms to our economy, safety and well-being. These harms are significant, with the Australian Crime Commission conservatively estimating that organised crime costs Australia $15 billion per year.

The impacts of organised crime can be felt throughout the Australian community. Individuals may be exposed through fraud, drug addiction and community violence. Legitimate businesses may face competition from criminal enterprises or they may be infiltrated and their legitimate activities used for criminal purposes, or they may be used by criminal groups as facilitators and professional advisors. At its most dangerous, organised crime can lead to corruption and a weakening of the law and the administration of justice.

Recognising the importance of a robust approach to organised crime, in 2009 the Australian Government launched the Organised Crime Strategic Framework. The Framework:

Its key components are the Organised Crime Threat Assessment (a detailed regular assessment to identify the most significant organised crime threats), the Commonwealth Organised Crime Response Plan (which identifies how Government will respond to those threats), and multi-agency responses. It also sets out five capabilities for combating organised crime.