Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush is pushing a plan to establish an Organised Crime Command that would use code-breaking technology to infiltrate the encrypted messaging apps used by criminal syndicates. The proposed command, reported by The Age, would be backed by $150 million in state funding over four years and include 151 experts and support staff.
Bush wants to gather intelligence to target cartel leaders, many safely hidden away in the Middle East, rather than concentrate on individual crimes. The article cites a three-year international police sting operation using the ANoM app, which allowed police to harvest 27 million encrypted messages from 12,000 phones used by 300 criminal syndicates in 100 countries.
“We want to simultaneously deprive them of their liberty and assets,” Bush said. “Intelligence will be at the centre of what we do. We want to stop the next gang war before it starts.”
The article says the traditional way of tackling a crime cartel is to start at the bottom. Soldiers are now recruited via encrypted apps using online criminal employment agencies, and offenders carrying out firebombings, bashings and organised car thefts do not know who they are working for. Bush says police need to get ahead of the game rather than chase their tail.
The plan echoes historical efforts such as the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence established in the 1970s, which infiltrated outlaw motorcycle gangs and exposed union corruption. However, a later national version was undermined by political and police infighting.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The plan represents a significant shift from reactive policing to intelligence-led disruption of entire syndicates.
- If successful, it could reduce the gang violence and arson that has plagued Melbourne.
- The reliance on intercepting encrypted messages may raise privacy concerns that could shape future policing powers.
Background
Organised crime in Victoria is estimated to cost the state at least $17.5 billion a year, according to the article, not including money creamed off major infrastructure projects. Chief Commissioner Bush, a one-term five-year appointee, does not need reappointment, which the article suggests makes him free to drive change. Cartel bosses have historically been able to run their operations from prison by controlling their wealth.
What to Watch
- The progress of unexplained wealth laws through the Victorian parliament.
- How police ranks respond to the proposed cultural shift.
- Whether the technology can actually crack modern encryption consistently.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe $150 million Organised Crime Command plan is intended to crack encrypted apps used by criminal gangs.WA Today - Latest News: “Chief Commissioner Mike Bush wants to crack the encrypted messages used by criminal gangs. ... part of a $150 million package to be used to set up the Organised Crime Command.”
- SupportedThe plan includes depriving crime figures of their assets.WA Today - Latest News: “Bush says: “We want to simultaneously deprive them of their liberty and assets.””
- SupportedBush said, “We want to simultaneously deprive them of their liberty and assets.”WA Today - Latest News: “Bush says: “We want to simultaneously deprive them of their liberty and assets.””
- SupportedBush said, “Intelligence will be at the centre of what we do. We want to stop the next gang war before it starts.”WA Today - Latest News: “‘Intelligence will be at the centre of what we do. We want to stop the next gang war before it starts.’ Mike Bush, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner”
- Not in the sourcesThe report was reported by The Age.WA Today - Latest News: “The Age's View Editorial”
- SupportedThe state government committed $150 million to the command over four years.WA Today - Latest News: “The state government has committed $150 million for the Organised Crime Command over four years.”
- SupportedThe command model has 151 experts and support staff, including code breakers and analysts.WA Today - Latest News: “The model has 151 experts and support staff – including code breakers, analysts, lawyers and forensic accountants.”
- SupportedBush is targeting organised crime bosses with tough unexplained wealth laws.WA Today - Latest News: “Bush has been promised tough unexplained wealth laws.”
- SupportedBush wants to target cartel leaders, many of whom are safely hidden away in the Middle East.WA Today - Latest News: “Instead of concentrating on individual crimes, he wants to gather intelligence to tackle the cartel leaders, many safely hidden away in the Middle East.”
- SupportedThe ANoM operation harvested 27 million messages from 12,000 phones used by 300 syndicates in 100 countries.WA Today - Latest News: “a three-year international police sting operation using the underworld ANoM app allowed police to harvest 27 million encrypted messages from 12,000 phones used by 300 criminal syndicates in 100 countries.”
- SupportedSoldiers are recruited through encrypted apps and online criminal employment agencies, and those carrying out crimes do not know who they are working for.WA Today - Latest News: “Now the soldiers (usually young men) are recruited via encrypted apps using online criminal employment agencies. This means the offenders carrying out the firebombings, bashings and organised car thefts don’t know who they are working for.”
- Partly supportedThe Bureau of Criminal Intelligence infiltrated outlaw motorcycle gangs and exposed union corruption.WA Today - Latest News: “It became the first law enforcement body in Australia to target outlaw motorbike gangs”