Organised crime
Dozens of Victorians arrested in ‘sting of the century’ targeting gangland encrypted message app
The Australian Federal Police and the FBI joined forces for the three-year operation, which culminated in the arrest of alleged bikie and mafia figures in raids this week. Officers say it has helped stop 21 planned underworld killings in Melbourne.
- by Erin Pearson and Simone Fox Koob
Latest
Organised crime dealt ‘heavy blow’, says PM, after global police sting cracks open ‘encrypted’ app
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says organised crime has been dealt a heavy blow after a cross-border law enforcement operation yielded mass raids and arrests using intelligence from a compromised encrypted app.
- by Fergus Hunter
Editorial
Opinion
Evidence criminals have infiltrated Qantas should serve as a wake-up call
The federal government must find a balance between giving enforcement agencies the ability to crack down on crime gangs and protecting civil liberties.
- The Age's View
Exclusive
Crime
Qantas infiltrated by organised criminals, says intelligence report
A classified federal law enforcement intelligence operation code-named Project Brunello has determined that a ‘significant’ number of Qantas staff are linked to criminality.
- by Nick McKenzie, Joel Tozer and Fergus Hunter
Exclusive
Crime
The cartel of Australian Mr Bigs responsible for $1.5b drug imports
Nine men drawn from Australian bikie gangs, Asian triads and Middle Eastern crime syndicates make up what criminal intelligence authorities have called the ‘Aussie Cartel’.
- by Nick McKenzie, Joel Tozer and Fergus Hunter
Investigation
Drugs
How we tracked down Australia’s most wanted man to his glamorous new life
Authorities have been hunting Hakan Ayik for more than a decade. Now for the first time we have uncovered his life of luxury lived in the open on the border between east and west.
- by Nick McKenzie, Joel Tozer and Sumeyya Ilanbey
Mafia accused of running courthouse cafe to eavesdrop on judiciary
As prosecutors and police officers chatted over coffee, local mobsters were watching and listening.
- by Nick Squires
A Winnebago, a Hummer and more than 50kg of drugs: Victorian drug delivery ‘kingpin’ arrested south of Perth
A Melbourne man who the police minister described as a drug delivery “kingpin” has been arrested in Perth after allegedly overseeing a clandestine state border crossing sneaking 33 kilograms of methylamphetamine and 25 kilograms of pills in a motorhome into Western Australia.
- by Peter de Kruijff
Exclusive
Melbourne gangland
Purana taskforce to close under major crime-fighting shake-up
Victoria Police’s top anti-gangland unit will be disbanded under a proposed restructuring of the way the force tackles serious crime.
- by John Silvester
‘Completely unacceptable’: Law Society condemns intimidation of solicitor
The intimidation of a solicitor by an elite police strike force after he made a routine request for officers to give court evidence in person has been branded “completely unacceptable” by the professional body for NSW solicitors.
- by Georgina Mitchell
Investigation
Neville Wran
Bombshell corruption claim about former premier Neville Wran
A new book reveals a damning statement about Neville Wran and his connection to jailed former NSW chief magistrate Murray Farquhar.
- by Kate McClymont