The AFP will lead a new initiative to target and disrupt the trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals throughout the world on behalf of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.
The Coalition was formed in July 2023 and is a collaborative effort by 156 countries, including Australia, to combat the global threat of synthetic drugs through policing, public health and policy initiatives.
AFP members will coordinate a multi-national effort to increase screening and disrupt transit routes for illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. This will include working with law enforcement partners to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen disruption efforts.
AFP Assistant Commissioner David McLean said Australia remained a target for organised crime groups because of the high prices people pay for illicit drugs but the combined efforts of international law enforcement to disrupt transit routes would have global impacts.
“Our Asia Pacific region is a crucial hub for criminal groups to source precursors and finished synthetic drugs, before exporting them globally,” he said.
“The AFP is in a unique position to use our well-established international network to help drive sophisticated intelligence gathering and analysis to inform and direct global collaboration to disrupt this type of activity, in a region where we can have a tangible impact.”
Assistant Commissioner McLean said demand for methamphetamine in Australia remained strong, and the AFP recently warned of the impact of Nitazenes on the local market.
“Australia is the end of the supply chain for these substances and the large-scale distribution into our communities causes widespread harm, including being a burden on the health system and contributing to other crime and financial inequity,” he said.
“We know our law enforcement partners share a similar concern for their communities and are committed to working with the global coalition to stop their countries being exploited as sites for the manufacture of precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs and used as global drug transportation hubs.”
Australia provides longstanding and comprehensive support to law enforcement partners in the Pacific as part of a shared vision to make the Pacific the hardest region in the world for organised criminal groups and networks to operate in.
More than 100 AFP officers are working in the Pacific region to build the capability of local police and share operational and tactical intelligence on criminal activity through the Pacific Transnational Crime Network.
A number of existing partnerships the AFP has in Asia will provide a framework to tackle issues on behalf of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.
The AFP is a partner in joint law enforcement taskforces targeting organised crime and drug trafficking in Cambodia, Thailand and China, which have prevented tonnes of illicit drugs entering Australia and disrupted illegal supply chains in those countries.
The Mekong-Australia Partnership on Transnational Crime (MAP-TNC) is another way for the AFP to support countries in the Mekong subregion to address transnational and serious organised crime challenges, including illicit drugs.
