Federal govt knocks back police attempts to strip accused drug traffickers of security clearances in ports

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http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/ports-in-a-crime-storm-as-government-knocks-back-police-attempts-to-strip-accused-drug-traffickers-of-security-clearances/story-fnii5s3x-1226988985083

July 15, 2014

POLICE attempts to strip accused drug traffickers of their security clearances to work on Australia’s waterfront and airports are being knocked back by the federal government.

At least 14 employees, including stevedores and customs officers, kept their clearances to work in secure areas of Sydney’s ports despite being charged by the Polaris waterfront taskforce.

Among those were three stevedores charged between September and November with serious drug offences while working at shipping terminals in Sydney.

Authorities in January asked that Dean Rodgers and Robert Bucic be stripped of their Maritime Security Identification Cards after each was charged with drug offences in separate police operations.

But the federal government agency responsible for the security clearances, AusCheck, rejected the applications, saying they did not have the capability to suspend the cards or take action against the men.

In a separate case police revealed a “significant number” of bikie gang members and known associates of organised crime syndicates work on the wharves. Police are powerless to take action against port workers with criminal links, despite repeated requests to allow criminal intelligence reports to be used when assessing applicants for MSICs.

Dean Rodgers / Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

 

Robbie Bucic. Source: News Limited

 

Rodgers was charged in November with supplying a large commercial quantity of drugs, alleged to be 3000 MDMA pills, while working at a shipping terminal in Sydney’s east, while Bucic was charged with possessing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug. Both matters will return to court later this year.

The MSIC and ASIC cards were introduced over potential terrorism threats and concerns of drug running at ports around the country.

AusCheck carries out background checks when considering an applicant’s suitability but does not consider criminal intelligence, including a person’s links to organised crime networks or outlaw motorcycle gangs.

“This is an obvious risk to security in the maritime and related sectors such as transport and logistics as there are a number of vulnerabilities in these areas that can be exploited by criminal groups,”

Polaris commander Detective Superintendent Nick Bingham said.

Polaris is a taskforce involving NSW Police, Australian Federal Police, Customs and the Australian Crime Commission to combat organised crime on Sydney’s waterfront.

The taskforce was formed in 2010 and has since made 62 arrests, laid 247 charges and seized more than 150kg of illegal drugs.

The Department of the Attorney-General, which oversees AusCheck, yesterday declined to comment on the issue, referring questions to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, which did not respond to questions.

Originally published as Aussie ports in a crime storm