Output 1 - Facilitation of the legitimate movement of goods across the border, while intercepting prohibited and restricted imports and exports

Identifying and intercepting prohibited and restricted imports and exports

Identifying risks

Customs selects goods or people that pose a threat to Australia from large numbers of travellers, consignments or vessels. Sophisticated risk identification techniques and intelligence facilitate this.

The highest priority for Customs risk identification and intelligence in 2004–05 was the translation of risk identification practices into the new Integrated Cargo System. This involved the design of the system, training of Customs staff, and detailed technical work. From October 2004, all export cargo was reported and risk assessed within the new system.

The Government's decision to increase the level of Customs boarding of commercial vessels led Customs to increase intelligence support to this function, including through a strengthened Port Intelligence Unit. This allows better targeting and a greater flow of information.

Intelligence analysis supported the new air cargo screening trial, the implementation of Free Trade Agreements, and regional counter terrorism initiatives. Customs also strengthened liaison with foreign partners and improved the technology underpinning its intelligence processes. This in turn enabled Customs to better manage its risk and achieve some notable seizures.

Development of Customs intelligence systems

The Integrated Cargo System and associated applications provide Customs intelligence with powerful tools for analysis. The intelligence area has a number of projects in train to take full advantage of these tools. These include work on data cleansing, better automation of information search and retrieval and changes to information handling processes. The changes are underpinned by the redevelopment of much of Customs intelligence training.

Detector Dog Program

At the end of 2004, as part of the Government's election initiatives, Customs received additional funding of $6.89m over four years to expand the number of detector dog teams to enhance the Detector Dog Program and strengthen border protection.

As at 30 June 2005, there were 45 operational teams deployed, which included five new narcotics detector dog teams that graduated in May 2005. These new teams are stationed in Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne and Perth.

Also in May 2005, another four teams commenced a three-month training course in firearms and explosives detection. They will supplement the six existing firearms and explosives detector dog teams already stationed throughout Australia.

An additional firearms and explosives detector dog team, which will commence operations in April 2006, together with replacement training for a further four teams, will raise the number of detector dog teams deployed to 54. This will include two teams trained in the detection of chemical precursors.

The Government's election initiatives included $1m over four years to strengthen border protection by enhancing the Customs detector dog breeding and training capability through further development of a hazardous chemical detection capability, strengthening Customs counter terrorism capacity and ensuring the agency's national and international standing in this emerging field.

Some of this funding facilitated the upgrading of training facilities in Brisbane, Perth and at the National Breeding and Development Centre in Melbourne. Work commenced on a pseudoephedrine pilot and developing a chemical detection program. Other projects include a new and improved reporting system for dog taskings, increased accountability for the control of training aids and a new fitness protocol for dog handlers being developed by Health Services Australia.

The Detector Dog Breeding and Training Program received a ‘Highly Commended' Award at the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence ceremony on 10 November 2004.

A program to develop a Customs detector dog breeding and training capability in the People's Republic of China (China) commenced in May 2005. Customs will donate 12 pups to China by the end of 2005 to start their own breeding program. Chinese Customs is expected to have the infrastructure and expertise to commence a breeding program by June 2006.

Customs is developing a similar cooperative program to supply quality detector dogs to Indonesian Customs and Excise.

Enforcement operations training

Operational command training

Over 500 staff accessed relevant components of the online Operational Command training. This year also saw seven face-to-face courses conducted resulting in 19 staff qualifying as Operation Chiefs, 56 as Operation Commanders and 88 as Group Commanders. Each region now has access to a base of operational command capability at all levels to lead and manage operational response for the interception of illicit goods or smuggling.

In addition to the large regional centres, staff from 16 District Offices were also trained. The challenge is to increase the numbers of operatives undertaking the training. The online program is proving a suitable platform to facilitate this.

The Operational Readiness Unit assists with deployment exercises to put into practice command and other operational skills. Two exercises were conducted in Broome and Melbourne which also provided the opportunity for a productive exchange of information to streamline the delivery of the exercises and to identify further learning needs and opportunities.

Training of New Zealand Customs officers

In May 2005, New Zealand Customs officers took part in a small craft and ships search training course held in Sydney and Brisbane. The training was facilitated by the Customs National Enforcement Training Centre. A further three New Zealand Customs officers attended the ship search course held in June 2005.

Container Examination Facilities (CEFs)

All cargo movements across the border are screened by Customs using a range of intelligence, targeting and profiling techniques. Long-standing cooperation between Customs and other domestic and international law enforcement and security agencies facilitates effective joint operational activity and information exchange that may also assist in identifying and intercepting illicit cross-border activity.

In July 2004, the Government provided an additional $57.5m over four years to further increase sea cargo inspections at the CEFs from 106 000 to 133 000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) a year. To achieve the increased throughput, each CEF works one shift on Saturdays and from early March 2005, the Brisbane CEF increased its hours of operation to include Monday to Friday afternoon shifts.

The Minister for Finance and Administration opened the Adelaide CEF in 2005 bringing the number of CEFs to five. The Adelaide CEF incorporates a state-of-the-art dual view pallet x-ray system that increase the container inspection rate tenfold at the port of Adelaide from 173 TEU a year to approximately 1733 TEU a year.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) conducted a performance audit of the CEFs during 2004 and reported in December 2004. The ANAO found that Customs CEFs are administratively effective and that Customs had ‘implemented effective systems and processes for target selection and development'. The ANAO Report notes that the CEFs significantly bolstered Customs sea cargo inspection rates, providing enhanced border security for all Australians.

The ANAO Report made eight recommendations for improvements in CEF operations. These recommendations covered:

• improving logistics management
• performance reporting
• data integrity improvements
• target development and selection processes
• undertaking a comprehensive review of all the logistics contracts prior to re-negotiations or re-tendering in 2006.

Customs agreed to all recommendations and has made significant progress in their implementation. Customs welcomed the ANAO's recommendations as they will enable Customs to further enhance the CEFs' operations.

Achievements at the Container Examination Facilities

Maintaining inspection and examination rates is an important aspect of the CEF operations, but the result from the increase in sea cargo inspections is the most important outcome. The significant detections listed in Figure 8 are often the result of collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.

Figure 8: Significant Container Examination Facility detections from sea cargo, 2004–05

* Examination of air cargo at the CEF.

Figure 9 shows the increasing number of containers inspected at the CEFs over the past two financial years and the declining number of complaints. Increased complaints in certain months are usually linked to particular events. For example, in the September quarter 2004, the increase in complaints coincided with increased inspection rates, the issuing of Australian Customs Notice 2004/33 regarding sea cargo examination arrangements and significant weather-related disruptions to shipping.

The most common complaints were about:

• fees charged as a result of exceeding the free storage period
• the withholding of containers
• delayed delivery.

Customs has worked with Stevedores, IT contractors and related parties to improve processes to reduce the negative impact on importers.

Figure 9: Customs performance at the Container Examination Facilities

Effective management of new and existing technologies

Customs border protection capabilities are multi-purpose to detect threats such as narcotics, explosives and chemical and radioactive substances. Customs has a panel of experts to advise and assist in selecting new technology. To ensure effective management of technologies, Customs maintains and upgrades existing equipment, and monitors developments in technology through links with suppliers, research and development agencies and academic experts. Customs only deploys new technology after robust technical and field evaluation processes demonstrate its suitability for Customs operational needs.

A number of new technology projects were funded in 2004–05 as part of the Government's election commitments and as priorities to enhance maritime and aviation security. These projects include:

• biological and chemical agent screening—$20.5m over four years for the purchase of new technology for chemical detection including: raman spectrometers, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers (GC-MS), ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) and immuno-assay trace detectors
• mail screening technology—$13.2m over four years for the purchase and installation of advanced automatic x-ray machines at the Sydney Gateway Facility and the Melbourne Airmail Transit Centre. This funding will also cover metal-detection technology for general mail items
• extension of waterfront closed circuit television network (CCTV)—$22.4m over four years to extend the existing waterfront CCTV system from the current 32 proclaimed ports to all 63 proclaimed ports
• neutron scanner trial—$8.4m over two years for the field trial of new neutron scanning technology developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) capable of scanning air cargo containers.

Radiation detection technologies

The fleet of radiation detectors is being expanded to include 119 radiation pagers and 31 radiation identifiers. It is expected that these will all be received by Customs and deployed across Customs operational environments by the end of 2005. The training program was revised to reflect the new operational priorities with an emphasis on counter terrorism related security applications. This training program includes the trial of new computer based training techniques.

Chemical detection

Customs deployed new trace detection equipment in key operational areas. The new dual mode (narcotics/explosives) ion mobility spectrometers replaced a single mode (narcotics) spectrometer. Thirty-nine units of the dual mode instruments are deployed with further procurement planned for 2005–06.

Five units of selected ion flow tube mass spectrometers (SIFT-MS) were purchased and deployed at the CEFs in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Fremantle and Adelaide. Designed to detect a wide range of chemical compounds quickly and accurately, the SIFT-MS units also replaced the laborious, costly and time-consuming method of chemical test tubes for fumigant detection.

Customs also purchased 15 raman spectrometers, capable of rapid, non-destructive identification of solid and liquid chemical substances, and deployed these in key operational areas.

In consultation with the manufacturers, Customs continued to fine tune the immuno-assay trace detector and GC-MS to ensure they meet Customs requirements. Further evaluation of other technologies for chemical detection continued to identify suitable technologies to enhance Customs capability to detect substances of concern.

Closed circuit television (CCTV)

New installations and expansions in 2004–05 enhanced the Customs CCTV surveillance systems at airports and seaports.

Video surveillance recording facilities were upgraded from analogue to digital infrastructure at seven of the eight international airports. Adelaide airport is scheduled for upgrading when the new terminal buildingis completed in October 2005. Video surveillance coverage of the outwards primary line area at all eight international airports was significantly enhanced with the placement of additional camera services. The existing CCTV surveillance coverage at Brisbane, Coolangatta, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney international airports was enhanced with the installation of additional cameras.

CCTV surveillance coverage at seaports was improved in Albany, Cape Lambert, Dalrymple Bay, Dampier, Geraldton, Gladstone, Gove, Hay Point, Hobart, Mackay, Mourilyan, Port Botany, Port Hedland and West Swanson Melbourne. A project to expand the current waterfront CCTV system to all 63 proclaimed ports is underway. A detailed planning process commenced and includes prioritisation of the ports, site visits to the 31 new ports and development of an integration solution to link the new system to the existing one. The installation of the additional cameras will commence in October 2005.

Figure 10: proclaimed ports in Australia

Radio communications

Relocation of the Sydney and Townsville Customs Houses provided the opportunity to upgrade and enhance the communication infrastructure at each location. Customs also fitted the Southern Ocean Patrol and Response vessel, the Oceanic Viking, with a secure link for data, voice and video communications through a commercial satellite.

Computer forensics

Customs established a national computer forensics capability to respond effectively to the growing need to access electronic evidence.

Customs worked with other Federal and State law enforcement agencies where material identified related to offences under their jurisdiction. The experience of both Australian and international agencies in the development of strategies to seamlessly integrate computer forensics benefitted Customs border protection role.

To enhance Customs abilities computer forensics facilities, data acquisition and storage equipment were purchased. Customs officers responsible for computer forensics continuously undergo training to keep abreast of ever changing technology.

A Customs officer commenced a six-month exchange with the United States Cyber Crime Centre in the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, to evaluate methods and approaches applicable in Australia.

High-tech crime

The HighTech Crime Centre, hosted by the Australian Federal Police, is responsible for the coordination of efforts to combat serious crime involving complex technology. Customs participated in the work of the Centre through an outposted officer arrangement.