Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews today chaired the second meeting of Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers with responsibility for policing, law enforcement and counter terrorism, discussing ways to crack down on serious and organised crime threatening Australians and our way of life.
“We cannot let transnational, serious and organised crime disrupt our way of life or become a handbrake on our economy,” Minister Andrews said.
“Now that our borders are open once more, the criminal networks devoted to trafficking illicit drugs and weapons, child sexual exploitation, and other serious crimes are looking to once more target Australia in earnest.
“Cyber criminals, who have been active throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, also continue to target Australians with increasingly sophisticated scams and take advantage of people working online.
“So too, our terrorism threat level remains at ‘probable’ – meaning there are groups and individuals with the intent and the capability of doing us harm.
“That’s why today’s meeting has been so important. By working together – between and across governments and jurisdictions, and in partnership with the community – we can ensure the ongoing safety and security of everyone in Australia.”
Today’s meeting, held in person on the Gold Coast, follows the first Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime, held in October 2021.
