What is a public interest disclosure? A public interest disclosure (PID) is a scheme for reporting on suspected wrongdoings in the Australian public sector and protecting the whistleblowers who issue the disclosures. A PID can only be issued by either a current or former public servant. Each Australian state and territory has its own specific…
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What is the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission? Created in July 2016, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is a criminal intelligence agency focused on identifying and reducing organised crime in Australia. ACIC is part of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group and National Intelligence Community and is a Commonwealth statutory agency established under the Australian…
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What is illicit tobacco and how is it defined? Illicit tobacco is a type of organised crime that involves the growth, manufacturing, production, or importation of tobacco into the domestic Australian market without a licence or paying a customs or excise duty or tax on the product. How illicit tobacco is harmful to the…
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What is the Basel Institute on Governance? The Basel Institute on Governance is a not-for-profit organisation focused on fostering good governance and fighting corruption and financial crime around the world. The institute’s offerings include six teams who provide different services: The International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) Private Sector Green corruption Prevention, Research and Innovation…
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What is the NACC? The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is an independent commonwealth agency tasked with investigating and reporting on corruption in the Australian commonwealth public sector and providing education on how to prevent corruption. The organisation officially began operating in July 2023 and is governed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2022 (the NACC…
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June announcements Following the FATF’s June 2025 announcement of changes to its Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring (also informally known as the “Grey List”), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) published updated guidance on the territories identified in the initial FATF publication and provided analyses on several countries classified as High Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a…
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About the guide and rules The Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Guideline on Sensitive Investigations provide guidance on the matter of sensitive investigations. The most recent version of the guideline was published in August 2023 and was issued by the Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism & Special Investigations. What is a sensitive investigation? Section five of…
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To better combat fraudulent investment scams and better protect Australians, the Australian Security and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) takedown actions now include social media ads that direct Australians to counterfeit investment sites, as reported in a media release published in August 2025. As explained by ASIC Deputy Director Sarah Court: “Expanding our investment scam takedown capability…
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What is a pre-emptive request and what is it for? A pre-emptive request is a formal application issued to Interpol that seeks to block or prevent a red notice from being issued against an individual. Red notices are capable of disrupting a person’s life emotionally, professionally, and financially, and are sometimes used in an antagonistic…
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The leaders of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issued a call to better combat organised crime and terrorism by improving global asset recovery efforts and increasing international cooperation efforts. Combatting illicit finance In a press release issued by Interpol,…
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