Australian customs to receive $88m to increase screenings of mail and cargo

[CLICKHEREx]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/22/australian-customs-to-receive-88m-to-increase-screenings-of-mail-and-cargo

Australian customs to receive $88m to increase screenings of mail and cargo

Customs and Border Protection says new money will fund war against drug syndicates and weapon smugglers

Helen Davidson

theguardian.com, Wednesday 22 January 2014 17.55 AEST

Customs officers Customs officers in Sydney examine a weapon discovered at the NSW Container Examination Facility in December. Photograph: AAP

Customs and border protection services will receive an extra $88m in extra funding from the government to enhance screening of incoming international mail and cargo as part of a war against drug syndicates and weapon smugglers, it was announced on Wednesday.

Were in war against drug syndicates, and against those who would seek to import weapons into this country, drug precursors, steroids, illicit drugs, said the chief executive of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Michael Pezzullo.

In a war you need weapons, you need bullets and I welcome the governments announcement today delivering on its election commitment they undertook before the last election to give us some more weapons and some more bullets, he said.

In August last year, then opposition leader Tony Abbott announced at a press conference that a Coalition government would give $100m in extra funding to customs, particularly into customs screenings. Two days before the election the Coalition released its final costings, with $88m earmarked to restore and further boost Customs funding for cargo inspections over four successive financial years.

A spokesman for Morrison said the $88m package was developed in consultation with customs.

The fact the government is able to institute these measures to better tackle border crime at a lesser cost to taxpayers is a pleasing result.

The bulk of the $88m, will go towards increasing inspections of international mail from 40m inspections to 50m per year and of air cargo to 2m from 1.5m per year, and $24m to expand container examination operations in Sydney and Melbourne. More advanced detection technology, an extra 15 detector dog teams, a new investigation squad and eight extra officers to support intelligence activities will also be funded.

This is the Abbott government fulfilling a promise to deliver stronger borders, Morrison said.

Not just to our north, but all around our country. The risks that present to our borders just dont exist in terms of people smuggling. There are any number of criminal syndicates trying to breach our borders for all sorts of nefarious purposes that put Australians at risk.

Australian customs and border protection services is our frontline agency that is essential to that task, he said.

Morrison confirmed there would be no retasking or rearrangement of resources within customs.

This is new money to do additional tasks and to increase the capacity of the Australian customs and border protection service.

The current level of screening sees 66% of international mail screened by either dogs or x-ray and will increase to around 85% with the new funding. Air cargo will rise from 4% to around 6%.

Customs and law enforcement agencies are currently targeting criminal activities and corruption within the service, but Pezzullo said Operation Heritage, targeting illegal activities at Sydney airport was ending, but Taskforce Pharos was ongoing.

On the issue of integrity and corruption, obviously a year or so ago we had a problem at Sydney airport, said Pezzullo.

There was a ring of officers who have since been charged and in some cases convicted of very serious crimes That operation is winding up.

More generally weve since had cause to arrest other officers those matters are currently ongoing, he said, adding that extra powers given by the previous government were having an effect.

The culture of the organisation is changing, he said.

[-RC-]

I want my FUCKING MONEY BACK!!!!!!!!!!

Take that $88m and spend it on education or health you fucking imbeciles

[waterboy 2.0]

"......In a war you need weapons, you need bullets...."

In a war the best weapon is your brain... use it folks

[Francois le Danque]

Don't worry guys, they only took this money from useless stuff like community legal protection...