Editors --- "Policing the open border" [1998] AUFPPlatypus 19; (1998) 59 Platypus: Journal of the Australian Federal Police, Article 7

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Policing the Open border

Australia's surveillance and detection capability in the Torres Strait will be improved with the injection of $6.7m over three years for increased night surveillance, helicopter flying hours and marine surveillance.

The money will also provide a permanent AFP presence on Thursday Island and a secure communications network in the Torres Strait, while the Australian Customs Service will receive three small high-speed patrol vessels.

A statement from the ‘Tough on Drugs' strategy says that an increased AFP presence on Thursday Island will enhance the ability to gather intelligence on planned and actual illegal activities through the Torres Strait and that increased intelligence on illegal activity will allow for greater use of current surveillance resources and in generally stopping the flow of drugs into Australia from our north.

The unique nature of the Torres Strait region and problems of dealing with cross-border crime were the focus of a seminar, titled Torres Strait: Policing the Open Border, jointly sponsored by the AFP and the Australian Defence Studies Centre in Canberra earlier this year.

In opening the seminar, Justice Minister Senator Amanda Vanstone, said: "The Torres Strait is a region of increasing strategic, political and cultural importance to Australia. It is an area of growing importance from the law enforcement perspective, not only in relation to cross border crime, but also the regulation of our immigration, quarantine, fisheries and other high priority national interests".

The seminar was organised by the AFP's Visiting Fellow at the ADSC, John McFarlane. Speakers included AFP Commissioner Mick Palmer, Federal Agent Mick Keelty, Les Jones (ACS), and officers from the Queensland Police Service, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

Session chairmen were Commander Northern Command, Brigadier Chris Roberts; AFP Deputy Commissioner Adrien Whiddett; and Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, Dr Adam Graycar.

ATSIC Commissioner for the Torres Strait and Chairman of the Council of Saibai Island (the Australian territory nearest to the PNG mainland, 3km across a shallow strait) Terry Waia, gave a keynote address.

Commissioner Waia spoke of the problems for the Torres Strait people by the cross-border trade in cannabis, weapons and alcohol, as well as criminal activities carried out by people from PNG visiting the Strait under the ‘traditional visitors' provisions. He welcomed the establishment of a permanent AFP presence on Thursday Island and the increase of ACS surveillance capabilities in the Strait.

"We must not delay in tackling the difficult problem of cross-border crime," Mr Waia said.

"The problem is growing. If we attack it now we have a chance of stopping its growth, but if we leave it unchecked, it has the potential to overwhelm us."

Mr McFarlane said that a joint strategic assessment of cross-border crime, commissioned by the 1997 PNG-Australia Cross-Border Crime Conference, should be finished soon.

"Consideration will be given to the release of a public version of the assessment to place on record the nature and extent of cross-border crime," he said.

"However, at this stage, it is apparent that there is a gulf between the extent of cross-border crime, as acknowledged by Australian law enforcement agencies, and the claims made by the people of the Torres Strait and some of the PNG law enforcement agencies.

"The establishment of a pro-active intelligence network in the region, under AFP coordination, and increased Coastwatch and ACS marine surveillance, should go some way to closing this gap.

"At this stage, it is assessed that the trafficking of cannabis and weapons across the Torres Strait is low level but continuous, but has the potential to increase quite quickly"`.