2LT National News

Every day, police across Australia investigate thousands of incidents—any one of which could unlock a major case on the other side of the world. From dismantling international drug rings to rescuing exploited children, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and its global partners are proving that crime-fighting knows no borders.

A Global Web of Crime—and Justice

Recent operations highlight the AFP’s critical role in international law enforcement:

• Drugs Hidden in Machinery: A new concealment method in Melbourne led to the takedown of a drug cartel in Chile and arrests in Spain.

• Stolen Utes to Sudan: Vehicles stolen in Sydney turned up in Sudan, exposing a transnational smuggling network.

• Dark Web Takedown: Authorities seized a ransomware site, disrupting cybercriminals and sharing intelligence with 33 countries.

• Teen Rescued from Predator: An Australian girl, lured overseas by a convicted child sex offender and killer in the U.S., was found and saved through international cooperation.

These cases underscore how local crimes often have global ties—and why partnerships like INTERPOL and EUROPOL are essential.

Borderless Crime Demands Borderless Policing

AFP Commander Kate Ferry emphasized that modern criminals exploit technology and globalization, making cross-border collaboration vital.

“In an ever-changing world, where borders are blurred for the criminal underworld, we rely on trusted international networks to bring perpetrators to justice,” Ferry said Monday. “Any piece of intelligence—big or small—could crack a major case, whether in Australia or abroad.”

Australia is one of 196 INTERPOL member nations, sharing real-time data on fugitives, missing persons, drug trafficking, and even stolen art. The AFP also works closely with EUROPOL, tackling terrorism, cybercrime, and human trafficking across Europe.

On the Frontlines Worldwide

The AFP’s global presence includes:

• An INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Canberra and an embedded officer in Lyon, France.

• A EUROPOL contact point in Canberra, with officers stationed in The Hague collaborating on cybercrime and organized crime task forces.These partnerships have been pivotal in crises like the 2004 tsunami victim identifications and the Bali bombings investigation.

A Safer Australia—and a Safer World

“Australia is safer because of these alliances,” Commander Ferry said. “Whether it’s stopping drugs, rescuing victims, or hunting cybercriminals, our work with INTERPOL and EUROPOL ensures justice doesn’t stop at the border.”

As crime evolves, so does policing—proving that even the most local tip can trigger an international takedown.

There are myriad examples of how the connections have paid dividends, including the below: 

CASE STUDIES 

Red Notice flags international fugitive as Victoria Police applicant 

When an INTERPOL Red Notice (extradition) was put out for one of the most wanted persons in the US, who was sought for offences relating to global arms trafficking to conflict zones, the AFP searched and recorded the fingerprints from the notice and identified that the man had applied for a job with Victoria Police under a different identity. Further enquiries revealed he had been in Australia for two years without identification. Following engagement between Australian and US authorities he was arrested on a Provisional Arrest Warrant and extradited to the US in 2013. 

Collaboration leads to extradition of alleged sex offender from Spain 

In 2021, INTERPOL Canberra facilitated the issue of a global information-seeking INTERPOL Blue Notice on behalf on ACT Policing, seeking information on a suspected child sex offender believed to be in Spain. Enquiries eventually identified that the person been arrested in Spain in 2022 for a sex offence and that he was known to be in Spain. Formal approvals through the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department progressed to support and approve the issue of an INTERPOL Red Notice to seek the extradition of the subject in 2024. The publication of the Red Notice and then cooperation between AFP (ACT Policing, INTERPOL Canberra, Fugitive Team, International Liaison officers), Attorney General’s Department, and Spanish law enforcement and judicial authorities resulted in the arrest of the subject. INTERPOL Canberra then assisted arrangements for the extradition surrender and transfer of the subject from Spain to Australia in December 2024. The alleged offender recently faced court in the ACT for a preliminary hearing in April 2025. 

Purple Notice on cocaine in machine parts leads to international arrests 

After AFP Melbourne identified a woman importing 15kg of cocaine inside machine parts, case officers created an INTERPOL Purple Notice (methodology advice) to describe the concealment. This was circulated globally and, as a direct result, Chilean authorities started Operación Melbourne to investigate a syndicate operating out of Chile and Colombia that was targeting countries including Canada, Spain and Australia. Chilean authorities subsequently advised the arrest of the syndicate’s financier and head, operational lead, and logistical coordinator, with other arrests in Spain and the identification of other concealment methods – ultimately resulting in many more seizures of narcotics. 

Australian girl found before linking up with known killer and sex offender 

In 2017, a 16-year-old Australian girl flew out of Sydney for Los Angeles, USA, without her parents’ permission. She was reported missing to NSW Police, which requested assistance from INTERPOL Canberra. Within hours, INTERPOL Washington was working with INTERPOL Canberra and the New York Police Department (NYPD) to locate the girl. She was found within a few days and taken into the care of members of the NYPD and US Homeland Security. Investigations revealed an adult man in the US had sent money to the girl and allegedly convinced her to travel to the US to engage in illicit sexual activity. The man, who had a lengthy criminal history – including a conviction for criminally negligent homicide – was arrested, convicted, and ultimately sentenced to 35 years in prison over the incident.  

Australian fugitive located in Brazil after more than 20 years on the run 

In 2018, a number of pedestrians on a footpath were run over by a vehicle in Brazil. Among the victims identified by Brazilian authorities, through his passport, was an Australian man who had lived there for more than 20 years. The passport and name used were found to be false, and initial facial imagery and fingerprint checks undertaken through NCB Canberra yielded no results. Brazilian police identified an additional passport and name for the man, which was also false. 

After Brazilian authorities provided higher-quality fingerprints, he was identified as an Australian who had significant criminal history for child abuse and sexual assault matters in the Northern Territory before he disappeared in 1996 while on parole. He was also wanted in Victoria on further historic child sex assaults from the early 1980s. The man was not recorded as departing Australia, and it is not known whether he continued to offend in the 22 years he was on the run. He did not however, face court, over these incidents, as he died as a result of injuries suffered in the footpath collision.  

Vehicles stolen in Sydney turn up in Sudan   

INTERPOL NCBs engage in various cross border information sharing and training on platforms such as the Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database. In 2021, NCB Canberra was notified by NCB Khartoum, Sudan, that multiple vehicles identified there were recorded by Australia as stolen. This resulted in identification of four utes as moving from Sydney to Sudan. Relevant intelligence was pursued to support any future seizures. 

Further measures taken against Lockbit ransomware 

After law enforcement seized control of the Lockbit ransomware group’s leak site on the dark web, it was redesigned to host articles exposing actions taken against the group. Its administrator and developer, a Russian national, is now subject to asset freezes and travel bans and Europol efforts have now coordinated the identification and dissemination of 3,500 victim intelligence packages. With victims in 33 countries around the world including Australia, the AFP has worked closely with Europol and other partners as part of Operation Cronos.   

Take downs of the largest cybercrime forums in the world 

Australia worked with foreign partners in Europol’s Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce towards a day of action when two cybercrime platforms were taken down. The platforms called Cracked and Nulled had more than 10 million members combined and were used to pursue cybercrime as a service with stolen data, malware and hacking tools to target victims globally. Resulting in arrests, servers/devices and cash/cryptocurrencies being seized – this was another example of collaborative efforts by law enforcement effecting clear beneficial outcomes for communities. 

As these case studies show, the AFP’s ability to collect, disseminate, receive and tap into local intelligence globally has a powerful role to play in keeping Australia safe.